Destiny of Choice
by Darth Yuthura
Summary: When a Twi'lek apprentice survives a confrontation with Jaden Korr, she cannot return to the Sith. Choosing between an execution or defecting to the Jedi, she realizes that the only hope she has is to help them defeat her master.
1. Chapter 1

Here is a fiction that I started several months back. This is based on characters from the Jedi Knight series, although it will incorporate those from the novels and the original Star Wars cast.

To those not familiar with the storyline, Jaden Korr is a student of Kyle Katarn's. As the Jedi Order fights off the Disciples of Ragnos, they discover Tavion, a woman bent of taking revenge on Katarn, is the leader of the cult. She eventually captures another of Katarn's students, Rosh Pennin, and turns him to her cause. When Korr and Katarn receive a distress call from Rosh, the two come to Taspir III to rescue him. Unknown to them, Tavion had sent her apprentice, Alora, to ensure that Korr falls to the dark side by killing Rosh.

Meanwhile, Tavion had been using an ancient scepter to drain Force energy from various locations. The Jedi do not know what she intends to do with the energy, but Tavion plans to use it to resurrect an ancient Sith Lord, Marka Ragnos. If that were to happen, he would be a force of which even the Jedi might not be able to stop.

In the canon story line, Jaden confronts and kills Alora whatever path the player chooses. In this story line, Jaden gives in to the dark side and kills Rosh. But before she has the chance to kill Alora, Katarn arrives just in time to prevent his former student from going further down the dark path. And despite his anger for Alora, he convinces Jaden to let her go. At that point, Alora realizes that she cannot go back to her master, as she failed in her mission. But like any good Sith, Alora decides to betray her master to the Jedi.

I would greatly appreciate any reviews people may have, even if it's criticism. I have several chapters lined up for this, but I need to know whether readers are interested or not. The more reviews I get, the faster I'll publish new chapters. Thanks in advance to those who take the time to write reviews.

Deception and Death

It was strange at how one's entire life can turn within a matter of minutes. No, this wasn't like the difference between life and death, where you could die if you were a second off. If her lightsaber had simply pierced my body, I would have died there and it would have been over. Either I defeated her, or I died... the difference between life and death was simple. Instead, I found myself trying to grasp the difference between one life to another.

Before, I considered life and death to be as opposite as black was to white. Suddenly, I wasn't quite sure of anything anymore. One moment, things were just going normally and suddenly everything I knew no longer meant anything. The dark side was always my ally, but it has since become like poison in my veins. I wasn't the same person only a week ago. Did I decline from greatness? Did I discover that I was not so great as once I believed? Maybe everything had just been shuffled around and I was just somewhere different.

But despite having my world turned upside-down, I didn't feel so alarmed. I thought it would be very difficult to lose everything I knew, but when it was all gone... it felt strangely good. I felt that I didn't have to be on my guard all the time... I had time to think. When one lived with the fear of death every day, one got used to it. I used to assume my power and authority over the others was worth the risk, but all that was gone. I may have been smaller than I once believed, but it felt good to have control of my life for once.

Things could have turned out very differently, which was why I made myself try to relive it again. I had to know where I went wrong. If I had other options that I simply didn't consider up to that point.

It probably began when my master summoned me to her chambers. Unlike other times, I had expected this to be an invitation to join her in the resurrection on Korriban. It had taken weeks, but she had visited all those locations and the scepter was ready. The only place left for us was Korriban. After all my hard work, it was time for her to share the fruit of our efforts with me.

How naive of me.

"You summoned me, Master."

She had already packed the scepter away in a strongbox and wanted to ensure it was secure. She didn't turn around to address me. "The time for Marka Ragnos to return to us is nearly at hand. I would like to try and make it to Korriban without having to deal with the Jedi. If they know what we're planning, they'll take measures to stop us."

"Then we must move quickly. Our forces are gathered and can occupy Korriban before the Jedi receive..."

"Don't work your head too hard. I'm going there immediately; I have a special assignment for you." She said in a scolding manner.

Usually 'special' assignments were the ones that no one else wanted. I sighed in frustration and knew I had no choice in the matter. "What?"

She finally turned around and folded her arms to show her dominance. "Rosh isn't as devoted to our cause as I had first hoped. He is still too afraid of dying and I don't want Ragnos to sneer upon me for taking such a sniveling little fool like him for an apprentice."

"So just get rid of him."

She shook her head with disappointment. "Simple-minded. You don't discard something that you can still be of use to you. Rosh will be disposed of, but I was always more interested in using him against Katarn. I want you to take him to our base on Taspir and then allow him to cry out for help." She grabbed the case and carried it at her side, walking past me. "Try to make it look convincing."

"Make what look convincing?"

Tavion stopped halfway through the door and let her head drop back, as if she couldn't believe how stupid I was. That was what she did when someone else did or said something so dimwitted that she couldn't figure out why she bothered. "You are going to use him as bait. He isn't that stupid, but he will call for help if he doesn't think he's being watched. I expect Katarn will come for him, but so will his 'good' student... I can think of nothing better than if Jaden were to kill Rosh. Then Katarn would have no choice but to kill her as well. I want you to see that she embraces the dark side." She continued down the hallway and I followed.

"Are you sure? Jedi can be very stubborn. I mean Katarn wouldn't kill an enemy and he wasn't the ideal Jedi..."

It was then that I struck the wrong nerve. Tavion dropped the box and grabbed me by the neck, pinning me against the wall. "Katarn was a fool! There is no strength in mercy! None!" When she finally let me go, I fell to the floor, gasping for air. Tavion grabbed the case and continued on her way. By about the time I got back to my feet, she shouted back "Little slut, keep up!"

"I'm sorry, Master. I did not mean to question you. I was just asking a question."

She hummed in amusement. "That's a good girl. If Kyle's 'good' student should prove to be worthy, then I want you to bring her to our cause. If she won't be turned, then I expect you to take care of them both. Don't attempt to take on Katarn; he is mine to kill."

"Very well, my master." I answered.

She reached the loading ramp of her shuttle and turned back to give me some final words. "When I found you, you were weak. Now your hatred is your strength, but do not forget that you still belong to me. You will return victorious..."

I didn't know why, but her words seemed to undermine my strength. When she found me, I was only a slave to my family's clan. When I found myself bowing down to Tavion, I realized that I was exactly where I was four years ago. With all my power, I still was nothing more than a servant to an even more powerful master. Tavion had trained me to serve her purposes and she seemed more interested in getting her petty revenge against Katarn than in reviving Ragnos.

I was supposed to be like the second in command under Tavion, but I was still under her heal, just as with my first master. Despite all my power, I was not free. I was still a slave, only with Force training. That was the price that came with my training, but why just learn how to better-serve my master?

Suddenly I was slapped across the face. "Fool! Pay attention! If you're this inattentive..." she sighed and just stopped there. Then she pointed her finger in my face. "You will return victorious..."

After rubbing the side of my face, I pushed those thoughts aside and remembered my duty to her. She always had me declare that I would return victorious "Or I don't return at all."

As my master had expected, Katarn and his apprentice were soon to arrive on Taspir. I originally had a plan in place to divide the two, but found they intended to infiltrate the base on both sides anyway. I took advantage of the situation and divided my resources to best deal with each enemy.

Keeping Katarn occupied was easy enough with stormtroopers, so I concentrated the majority of the facility's troops to engage him. They stood no chance against a Jedi, but they were the best way to slow him down while I went after Korr with cultists and reborn. I hoped to weaken Korr, but she broke through our best warriors much more easily than I expected.

With each confrontation, she became visibly irritated. Korr was skilled, but she became increasingly reckless with each new enemy. Being angry and determined was a good for someone like myself, as it weakened a Jedi's peace of mind. I came to realize that Reborn were very effective at engaging non-Force sensitive enemies. I had hoped they could at least hold their own against Korr, but they were hopelessly outmatched by a fully-trained Jedi.

When she slaughtered the last Reborn I had left to throw at her, Korr got distracted and I saw an opportunity for a clear blaster shot to the head. Jedi didn't use blasters because it was considered dishonorable or something, but I drew a pistol and took aim. Tavion probably would have scolded me for how stupid I had to be to try and shoot a Jedi, but since Korr wasn't aware of me and her lightsabers weren't in hand...

Unfortunately, she reacted before I could pull the trigger. Korr activated her sabers before she was even aware of the threat. I kept the blaster pointed at her head, but wasn't foolish enough to actually fire at a Jedi with sabers raised. When she finally saw me on the ledge before her, I saw her brow furrow at the sight of me. "You Jedi are blandly predictable. I knew you would come for your little friend."

"Where's Rosh?" She demanded.

It was then that I lowered my blaster and shrugged my shoulders. "What makes you think he wants to go back? He's most comfortable here. In fact, it was I who sent that message... and then attached his name to it."

She looked at me, confused. "Why?"

"Let's just say that I don't want him to be comfortable with Tavion. But for reasons that elude me, she seems to like him. If I were to do something to dispose of her favorite apprentice, she'd not be very happy with me. You on the other hand... I can't speak for."

"So where is he?" she demanded.

"Oh, he's around. I just thought you might be interested to know about the kind of secrets he's shared with Tavion; that's why you Jedi are so pathetic. Tavion turned him to the Dark side just... like... that."

"Where is he?"

"I see you're eager for blood. That's good." I gestured to the chamber behind me. "You've stirred up some trouble around here and he's hiding away from the danger like the coward he is. I guess I don't blame him; he has every reason to be afraid of you. I just wanted to tell you not to do anything foolish, like trust him. He's at least smart enough to know he can't beat you, so he'll wait until your back is turned before he backstabs you."

When I backed away, she shouted. "I may not have any reason to trust Rosh, but I have even less reason to trust you!"

I turned around and leaned upon the balcony. "Trust is a dangerous thing, Jedi. You'd be wise to take that advice." I turned around for the door. "Don't screw this up. Kill him before he kills you."

As expected, Korr was quick to pursue. Fortunately I was smart enough to plan ahead and took a hidden door that would lead me down a different hallway. After she ran safely past the hidden door, I went back into the hallway and followed the angry little Jedi. I didn't have to run because I had a little surprise for her up ahead.

I found my way to a pedestal where I could oversee Katarn's little brat being killed by the other. I left Rosh in a large hanger, where I wanted to make it appear as though he sought to escape. I left a ship for him to try and steal, but I encrypted the computer so that he couldn't get it airborne. I figured that staging another event to show his cowardice would make Korr that much more likely to kill him.

I had to admit that I was proud of how effectively I staged this whole thing, but couldn't help thinking back on what I had told Korr about Rosh. It was just a lie, but there was some truth behind it. Tavion did seem to have an interest in Katarn's little brats, but only for the purpose of demeaning him.

Obviously there was much more disgrace in Rosh's treachery than if Tavion had just killed the boy. She wanted Korr to do the same, which was where I came in. I guess I could understand why Tavion would prefer Korr to betray him, but why go to all this effort to do so?

But I didn't have time to think of that; Korr had found her friend. And she was not happy. "Rosh!"

He had still been trying to break the ship's encryption codes, but jumped out at the sound of her voice. "Jaden...!"

"You don't look like much of a captive, Rosh. I should have figured that you wouldn't have the balls to fight for Tavion like the others. You're just abandoning her like you abandoned Kyle when things got tough." She declared.

"No, Jaden - wait! I was wrong! Please... help me get back to the Academy." he pleaded. As she approached with her lightsaber active, he cringed away in fear. "Jaden, please don't hurt me."

"You tried to kill me! And you lured me into a trap!"

"Jaden, I was scared. You have to believe me. We're friends, remember?"

She didn't take too kindly to such rubbish. Clearly he wasn't her friend; he was so pathetic to try and justify himself. Korr waved her saber around as she approached. "Friends? I was always there for you when you needed help, but the next moment, you're trying to beat me again! Why should I believe that this isn't just another trick?"

"Wait! Listen to what you're saying. You're angry, but don't give into it. That leads to the dark side, remember?"

She took Rosh by the neck and held her saber in a ready position, but struggled to bring it down upon him. "Even if you were afraid, that doesn't... I would not have betrayed my friends. I would have died before betraying you... how could you...?"

It was at that point when I realized that she was going to fold. I saw Korr on the brink, but not quite able to destroy her enemy. She just needed a little push... "Don't tell me you buy that crap, Jedi! You know he's lying! He's the one who turned his lightsaber on you, and he'll not hesitate to do so again!"

Rosh raised his hands to try and protect himself. "No, please!"

I shouted again. "He'd sell you out right now if he stands to gain from it! It's what he does!"

She then grabbed his robe and held her lightsaber against his chest. "No, Rosh. I won't let you betray me again."

"Jaden, no!" When her lightsaber came to life, the blade of energy seared through his flesh viscously and without mercy. He let out an intense scream of agony, only briefly before it died down to a lifeless final breath. Upon deactivating her weapon, Korr let the body collapse to the deck. Her breathing had become erratic, which was normal for someone in her position. She had always been so confined by her training that the girl didn't realize how good it felt to just give into her anger.

"Well done, Jedi. Doesn't it feel so much better to just do whatever you desire? The Force isn't a shield to protect the useless, but a weapon that empower the worthy. And you've most certainly proved yourself worthy of joining us. Tavion did have higher hopes for you than your friend there, but she just needed..."

She turned herself about and screamed at me. "Tavion is exactly the same as Rosh! I only did what my master refused to do! If he had just killed Tavion four years ago, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Your master is a fool, but your fate isn't tied to his. Ragnos rewards those loyal to him and will destroy all the Jedi after he's returned. Tavion is offering you a chance to be included on the winning side."

"No! Ragnos' scepter is too powerful to belong in the hands of someone as weak as Tavion! If she's stupid enough to squander such power for... it belongs in the hands of someone more worthy!" She screamed at me.

I chuckled and threw my head back. "Let me guess: someone like you?"

I saw wheels turn in her head for a moment before she nodded. "Yes, why shouldn't I take it from her? I would certainly make better use of it than Tavion ever will!"

"My, my. You certainly are an ambitious little Jedi, but you would be foolish to do so. If you don't join us, you'll die."

She raised her lightsaber to me. "And you're even worse than Tavion! If you're the best she could muster, then it's no reason you look to Ragnos to save your little ass!"

I recognized that as an invitation for battle. With her so angry, I expected an easy victory. "Oh really? Tavion thought that turning you would gain us an ally, but I see that it's up to me to clean up her mistake."

"You?" She laughed out loud, throwing her head back. "You turned head tails and ran away from me on Hoth. My power has doubled since then."

I jumped from the pedestal to the deck before her. Pulling out my lightsabers and activating them, I took a ready stance. "Tavion's taught me much as well, you foolish girl. Killing you shouldn't be too difficult."

Unfortunately events in life had a way of turning out very differently than anything you could ever foresee. An outcome either happened as you expected, or it didn't. Events often didn't play out as you wanted them to, but you can at least understand why it happened. Sometimes events just happened for no reason whatsoever, but could still work out in the end. I had to say that absolutely nothing happened as I expected, nor did anything go as I wanted.

I had expected Korr to be a challenge, but never expected that she could beat me so easily. She lied about her power doubling since our encounter on Hoth... tenfold would have been more accurate. Instead of calm and controlled, she had become a relentless berserker with the intent to destroy me. For the first time in my life, I knew I wouldn't survive a battle. It wasn't as though I just made a mistake that she simply took advantage of; she countered my every strike and I narrowly evaded her every attack.

I had never encountered an enemy who mastered both sides of the Force as Korr, which made her so difficult to defeat. I knew how to counter Jedi fighting styles and I trained against Reborn, but I had never fought a fully-trained Jedi who could use Force lightning. If I just had to counter her lightning attacks, I might have been able to deflect them back with my lightsaber. Unfortunately that power supplemented by her other abilities proved too much for me.

In a final act of desperation, I jumped away and threw both of my lightsabers at Korr, using the Force to guide them to my enemy. My concentration had been broken when she extended her hand to take me by the throat with the Force. To keep myself from being strangled, I diverted my concentration to resist her Force grip. In breaking her attempt to strangle me, I lost control of my lightsabers.

The hilts dropped to the floor and tumbled past her on both sides. Before I could pull them back, Korr had already taken a cargo container in her grip and projected it at towards me. Again losing the Force grip on my sabers, and despite my attempt to dodge, the plasteel cylinder slammed into me.

The impact knocked me around like a rag doll and I was left unable to stand. I had managed to get myself off the floor, but couldn't keep my balance, stumbling back to the wall. Korr had advanced upon me and readied her lightsabers for a killing blow at my neck. I slid myself back, trying to get away until I had been cornered. I couldn't summon the Force because of the trauma I suffered in the impact... I was beaten. Korr crossed both her sabers near my neck and prepared to end it all for me. I didn't feel ready to die there, but it wasn't like I had much of a choice. Each second felt like an eternity, but I closed my eyes and surrendered to my fate.

"Jaden, stop!" A male voice shouted.

She twisted her head around and sneered at him. "Stop what? Disposing of Tavion's apprentice?"

He slowed down and held his position when he got close enough to talk normally. "I know she is. Don't do it."

"Why? Every time you ever show mercy to an enemy, they will take advantage of you. I'm not going to let it happen again. She's too dangerous to live and she deserves to die for what she's done."

"Jaden, I know that you're angry, but you need to resist those feelings. You're a Jedi and a Jedi would not strike down a helpless opponent. She's not worth it."

Korr kept her lightsabers level at my throat, but she stared at me with disgust. "I should have killed you back on Hoth!"

"Stop this, Jaden. Just let her go."

"She'll just go back to Tavion again and we'll have to fight her all over again. Have you even thought of that? She killed Rosh."

Katarn folded his arms across his chest. "No, Jaden. Rosh died by your hand, remember?"

She stepped back and waved her sabers about. "Rosh betrayed us! This whole thing was just a deception!" She pointed one of the sabers at me, the tip only centimeters from my face. "He never called for help; she set this whole thing up. She deserves to die for all this!"

"Maybe she does. And I know exactly what she did." He paused for a moment until he turned his head to look me directly in the eye. "In fact, I hate letting go Rosh's murderer." He looked at Korr. "But you have to stop this. Do you remember why we came here in the first place? Rosh called for help and we could have saved him. You could have saved him."

I had no idea why I did it, but I saw one last opportunity to attack them where it hurt. Since I couldn't best Korr with my lightsabers, all I had left was to tell her that she had in fact murdered his friend. Rosh may have been a fool, but he was at least an honest one at least. Through his death, I may have had one last chance to psychologically cripple her forever. "Actually Jedi, it was Rosh who sent that distress call. He did want to escape Tavion's service. I lied; I was just trying to make you angry and give you reason to hate him. And you believed it."

A look of shock came upon Korr's face, which soon turned to extreme anger. Upon bringing both weapons near my neck again, she clenched them so tightly that her hands started shaking. Her breathing intensified, becoming more angry than ever before. Katarn softly spoke her name, trying to calm her down; but Korr didn't seem moved by his voice.

That was perhaps the most unpleasant moment of my life; and I've had many in my time. When I spoke those words, I had hoped she would finally strike me down; but she instead left me waiting for an agonizingly-long moment of uncertainty. With my eyes closed, I heard the crackling of her lightsabers grinding against each other as they crossed near my neck. I heard the sound grow louder and louder as if they signified just how angry she was, but then the crackling died down; she lowered her weapons.

Her breathing had been erratic, but it changed in some way. It was difficult to describe, but she sounded as though gasping with each breath. "Oh god... I killed him." she whispered. "I killed him."

He gently took hold of her wrists and lowered the sabers in her hands. "You were angry. You were confused. It wasn't your fault."

She closed her eyes to hold back her tears and shook her head. "No. I did it. I killed him. Rosh... he really was trying to help me and I..." she dropped her weapons and backed away in horror. "...my god! Kyle, please..."

He wrapped his arms around her and let the young Jedi cry on his shoulder. "It's alight, just let it out. It'll be alight."

The girl's sobs escalated into intense weeping and she clutched onto her master. It wasn't solely for emotional support, but because she could barely stand. "Rosh... Kyle, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"I know you didn't. It's alright." He rubbed her back and gently rocked her to and fro. Katarn closed his eyes and embraced the girl. There was no anger, no disappointment, no resentment. He just was so relieved that she didn't fall to the dark side, but there was also remorse. "I shouldn't have brought you. I'm sorry, Jaden."

As all that went on in front of me, I could hardly believe my eyes. Katarn was nothing like Tavion had described and the way that he and Korr interacted... it was nothing like Tavion and I. She had just failed him and he was apologizing to her? Rosh was someone whom Katarn held dearly, yet it did not matter what Korr had done. All that mattered was that he didn't lose her as well.

It made me think about what would have happened to me, had I not lived up to Tavion's expectations. I could almost see her beating me after I returned to report my failure. I could hear her scolding and threatening me. I would have been punished for my failings and nothing else sufficed. Watching Korr so willingly turn to her master and for him to accept her back... it made my heart ache to watch them.

I happened to see one of Korr's lightsabers near my feet and that I had a clear opportunity to strike them while they were distracted, but the thought never crossed my mind. Korr had beaten me in fair combat and I felt that it would have been wrong to do so. I also had to admit that I didn't want to abuse the mercy that Katarn had given me. If it weren't for him, Korr would have destroyed me. He spared me, even if it were to save Korr, he spared me. I could not bring myself to strike at either of them again.

I struggled to stand up, clinging to the wall to pull myself back to my feet. When Katarn heard me, he turned his attention from Korr and raised his eyes to meet mine. It was hard to explain, but gaze seemed to intimidate me much more so than Korr's lightsabers when they were at my neck. The way he furrowed his brow and the way he held Korr in his arms seemed to silently tell me in the most intimidating way 'This girl is under my protection, don't you dare try and harm her again.'

I cautiously moved away, as if to keep from making any sudden moves. He probably really wanted me dead, but had to maintain the proper example. That didn't hit me as weakness; it took strength to kill, but even more so to protect another. Tavion was right that receiving mercy was weakness, but that was exactly what I owed my life to. I was weak and it was because of mercy that I was allowed to live.

When I knew that I could get away, I turned around and ran as fast as I could. I stumbled upon some debris that had been in my way, but I seemed to plow through it at the expense of twisting my ankle. And somehow I managed to limp my way out of the hanger. Looking over my shoulder, Katarn kept glaring at me, as if to make his scorn as obvious as possible. I could tell by the way he stared that it was the girl in his arms that he allowed me to live. I could almost see the passion in him, the hate, and the desire to see me dead. I had to say that I felt I had a greater respect for Tavion's feelings for Katarn... I had to admit that he seemed more intimidating to me by extending mercy than if he just allowed Korr to destroy me.

I threw myself behind a cargo container and found myself gasping for breath. It was so great a relief to move beyond his relentless stare that I virtually collapsed in exhaustion. There was something that kept me pushing my body beyond its physical limits, but only when my life depended on it. I was not safely away from danger, but being out of his sight just seemed such a relief.

My breathing became so intense that my mouth just hung open and I let myself hyperventilate. It didn't matter that I started blacking out; passing out would have at least eased the tension I was under. As darkness took me, I gave into the pleasant sensation of twilight. Whatever happened... happened. There wasn't a damned thing more I could do about it.

I was sure I could vaguely hear them in the distance, Katarn and Korr. No shouting. No insults. No needless physical punishment from a master to his student. I could tell by the tone of their conversation just how much he cared for Korr. I felt I understood how painful it was for him to lose his other student. Katarn didn't care whether Rosh was a weak fool or not; he cared for them equally much. His sense of value, misplaced as it may have been... if he ever saw me again, he was determined to kill me for what I've done.

It wasn't long before I heard the rumbling of engines. It had to be Katarn's ship entering the hanger. It was that which caught my attention and brought me back to reality. I kept my head down, waiting for the ship to take off again. Katarn and Korr probably knew that where I was, but I still didn't want to show myself. Maybe I was afraid that if they saw me again...

As he loaded the body of his dead student, I could feel Katarn's anger and hate... I never felt that in a Jedi before. Through the Force, I sensed how gently he handled the body, placing it in the compartment just behind the pilot seats. When he sensed me peering at them through the Force, Katarn lifted his head and then looked directly at me... as if he could see through the obstacles which obscured me from his eyes.

Through the Force, he spoke to me. [If you should decide to run back to your master, I have a message that I want you to deliver. Tell Tavion that she was right. I made a mistake when I spared her life, but it's one that will soon be rectified. If I ever see you again... I will not make the same mistake with you that I did with your master. The only reason you're still alive now is because Jaden is more important to me than killing you. That will not be the case next time.]

As Katarn spoke those words, I actually started crying. Embarrassing as it was for me to admit it, I had never felt such bedlam in my life. Maybe a part of me longed for such affection... I couldn't ever imagine Tavion ever speaking to Katarn in such a way if he had killed me. If I were not strong enough, then I deserved my fate - that's how it was. It just seemed so alien to me how the Jedi could care so greatly for the well-being of others that they could stop at nothing to protect those close to them, even if they didn't deserve such loyalty. All my life, I had been taught to believe that mercy and charity were signs of weakness... yet I couldn't deny what I had just witnessed.

Korr had proven herself to be superior to me, yet I watched her crumble after accepting that she had murdered her friend. The dark side had fueled her strength, but only for a brief moment. I think I knew that Korr would just as easily have defeated me with only the light side. A girl of not more than 20 had proven that mercy and compassion... maybe weren't what I believed them to be. I didn't even have to clash swords with Katarn to realize how much stronger he was than Tavion ever gave him credit for. Strength was demonstrated by one's ability to exert control in the face of opposition. And in its own way, I felt I saw more of Katarn's strength through his mercy than if he had just allowed Korr to execute me.

He wanted me dead. Katarn would have just done what he wanted, but he didn't. He resisted those feelings. All that mattered to him was saving Jaden from the dark side and he did something much more difficult than just standing by while she executed me. There was so much strength in that... how could I not have seen it before?

Jaden had been sitting in the copilot seat, devastated by what she had just done. As her master secured Rosh's body, her guilt was overwhelming. She was afraid just to look behind, as if laying eyes on her handiwork only made it seem more real to her. The girl was nothing like I had expected, yet I couldn't help feeling... I regret what had happened to her. I never thought I'd say it, but I wish the little brat were still alive. On her behalf; not his.

Taking the seat right next to her, Katarn sighed from the sense of loss he felt and the disappointment of having failed to rescue his other student. When I heard the ship's engines throttle up, I raised my head above the cargo container I had been behind. I watched as the vessel hovered in the air for a few seconds before coming about and thrusting forward. The entire hanger vibrated from the noise of the engines. I felt the air current that the exhaust generated as it was blasted out from the two massive nozzles.

Before the ship had left the hanger, there was one thing I felt I had to do before we parted ways forever. Through the Force, I reached out to Katarn and uttered just two words. [I'm sorry.]

As the Raven's Claw veered into the sky and out of sight, I heard nothing from him. The silence which followed should have given me cause for relief, but I found that it didn't silence the chaos raging in my mind. My breathing had not calmed as I thought it would. I was physically numb, mentally exhausted, and several other feelings that weren't familiar to me. I wasn't scared exactly, but I felt as though I had been buried alive.

I was supposed to be dead. That was where my fate was destined to end... why was I alive? It was when I attempted to stand on my twisted ankle that I felt the pain... more proof that I still had a body to be hurt. Pain was about all I felt in that moment; the only sensation that was familiar. Everything else seemed to change in some way.

Limping back into the hanger, I came across one of my lightsabers laying on the deck. I remembered watching it tumble to the floor after losing control over the weapon, exactly where I had left it. Rather than using the Force to guide it to my hand, I kneeled beside it to pick it up. Why I hesitated to take it back into my possession, I did not know.

When I had collected the other, I noticed that just holding them again felt much different than before. I had built a second lightsaber so that I could kill enemies more quickly, but it required more skill to wield than just one blade. When I first tried to beat Tavion with them in training, I assumed that I had the advantage and would defeat her more easily than ever before. When I didn't, she told me that it was the skill that mattered more than the weapons. I got overconfident, which was why she had the advantage.

For that reason, I stuck with just one saber for missions and trained with two until I was ready to wield them both. I thought by then that my skills had surpassed everyone else, but I came to realize that the Reborn I trained against were not comparable to that of real Jedi. I expected that, but had severely underestimated the Jedi. No Reborn could match me, nor could Tavion in lightsaber combat; which was why I expected to beat Korr. I felt much smaller than before. I really wasn't as strong as I believed.

I thought of how I could explain what happened to Tavion and whether she would have been satisfied just that Rosh died by Korr's hand. In a way, I had done exactly as she had demanded of me. Maybe I could lie or just not say anything about my fight with Korr. I did turn her and I could say that Katarn was devastated by Rosh's death. In fact, that was the truth. I didn't have to lie at all.

Anxious to depart, I turned for the ship that Rosh tried to hijack. All it took was knowing the security code and unlocking the main computer before I started the launch sequence. As I went through the preflight checks, I found that my mind wasn't much on the controls at all; it was minutes before I actually got around to punching something in. There was a feeling in my gut which grew more intense the closer I got to takeoff.

It just seemed that I could escape the truth of what happened by lying to Tavion. She didn't have to know the truth and I could think of many excuses if Korr were to be found alive. I didn't have to tell my master anything. I could just say Korr went ballistic and stormed out. That I hadn't faced her in combat. That Katarn had interfered. There were so many lies to choose from, but the truth of what happened to me just couldn't be covered up.

When one lies, it didn't really matter if the other person bought it. There was always going to be some nagging truth that would forever be waiting to be discovered. I've deceived Tavion a number of times and shifted blame onto someone else, but I couldn't quite hide the truth from myself. Small matters; that's all they were. I was faced with something that could quite possibly result in my own execution... if I didn't play it right.

As I began the engine startup sequence, I really started to dread going to Korriban. I really wasn't as strong as I wanted to believe. All I've ever been since Tavion started training me was a slave. Teaching me to use the Force was done for nothing other than to serve her interests. I didn't want any of this - coming to Taspir, fighting Korr, setting up Rosh to be killed, none of it! I wouldn't have been killed if Tavion hadn't put me in that position, so that didn't mean I failed...

No. I had to stop this. I knew the truth and I couldn't escape it any longer. Half-truths weren't going to save me... if Tavion had seen what happened this day, she wouldn't have given me a second thought. I deserved to die, but not for this. My entire life was a lie... maybe one of the reasons that I hated Rosh was because he reminded me so much of myself. Like him, the only reason I ever got anywhere was because I always took shortcuts.

I realized that I no longer had the option of escape if I wanted to leave Tavion's service forever. I always expected that I would one day surpass her, which was why I helped her these last four years, but everything that we've accomplished was destined to go to Ragnos. I didn't have any reason to go back. But what choice did I have? Ragnos was being resurrected and if I wasn't ready to serve him... I didn't want another master, I just wanted out!

I didn't want anything to do with the Disciples of Ragnos anymore. I sought to one day take Tavion's place for myself when I was strong enough, but that was no longer an option to me. Ragnos was going to be revived and I knew that he would not look beyond my years of loyal service; I wouldn't matter to him. I was weak... I wouldn't get anything if I went back except an even more powerful master. What's worse was that I no longer had the option to just leave, fearing that I would be hunted down for the rest of my life. If Ragnos was powerful enough to obliterate all the Jedi, I didn't stand any more chance than they did.

As it became clearer and clearer that I was doomed, I started behaving much like an angry child. Slapping my palms upon the control panels, rocking back and forth in the seat, screaming in anger... damn you, Tavion! This was all your fault! Katarn spared your miserable life and you think you get revenge on him by turning to another master... have Ragnos do it for you? You stupid whore!

Why couldn't my life have just been snuffed out that day? Korr killed me, but she didn't have the decency to just give me a clean death. Instead, I was doomed to spend the rest of my life running from Ragnos. There was no way around it. Either you served Ragnos, or you died because of him.

I didn't see any escape for myself. I quickly went from endorsing Ragnos' return to dreading it with every fiber of my soul. It was only a matter of time, and the feeling of an impending doom filled me with fantastic terror. I had to stop Tavion!

I damned well nearly crashed in my rush to take off. Every second seemed to gnaw at me, knowing that I only had a short span of time before Tavion found Ragnos' tomb. I had no doubt that she was on Korriban, but how long it would take for her to find the tomb... I had no idea. Regardless, I knew I had to get to Korriban and stop her. That was about all I could do anymore. The only hope I had of truly being free was to destroy that scepter and kill my master.

While ascending through the atmosphere, I realized that I had little chance of actually succeeding. I may still have been more powerful than any of the Cult, except maybe Tavion; but I would have been fighting them alone.

Suddenly another idea came to me, one of which I had to be mad to even consider. It went against everything I was ever taught, but suddenly it had become the last best chance I had. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. There were no such thing as friends among the Sith, as they all served themselves and never trusted one another.

The Jedi were another matter. Because our goals seemed exactly the same, and with my help, they might actually have stood a reasonable chance at defeating the Cult. At least it sounded better than anything else I could think of. It also wasn't my favorite choice, but I punched in the coordinates for their temple on Yavin. The journey would take several hours, but at least I felt like I was heading in the right direction.


	2. Chapter 2

_I wasn't planning to release this chapter so soon, but the last review gave me some motivation to get it done faster. I actually was so unsatisfied with the chapter I had written months ago that I went back and revised more than half of the original content. I wanted to add another element to the story that probably would have had a great impact on the way the Jedi and Alora will get along: trust. Obviously Alora has reason to help the Jedi defeat Tavion, but she doesn't expect them to welcome her gladly. She will also come to realize the Jedi she'd come to know through the teachings of her master are much different than she ever expected._

_I also ended this rather abruptly because I extended the chapter so much that I had to break it apart. I'll get the next one out as quickly as I can._

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* * *

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Prejudice

I had hoped that the closer I came to the Jedi academy on Yavin IV, the less anxious I'd feel. It was on my way to Korriban, so the detour only added about another two hours to the journey. Still, that was two hours I feared we did not have. I just kept thinking that Tavion probably was unearthing the tomb of Ragnos as I sat there. If that were so, then it was already too late to do anything. As if the time pressure weren't enough, I didn't exactly look foreword to confronting the Jedi in their own fortress. At that point, I was committed. The moment that I set foot in the Jedi Temple, I would have severed my ties to Tavion and the Cult forever.

As I came out of hyperspace and watched Yavin IV rotate below, I seriously began to reconsider what I had in mind. I felt that if I just forgot the whole endeavor and set course for Korriban, maybe Ragnos wouldn't find out about my failure to kill Korr. If I were to just go back... maybe things wouldn't have been so bad as I feared. Tavion was convinced that Ragnos would give all his subjects whatever they wanted... maybe she was right. If Ragnos were to return, betraying Tavion to the Jedi would have been like asking for death.

What I hated more than anything about my situation was that I had absolutely no idea what was happening on Korriban. I couldn't contact Tavion, as she explicitly commanded that there be no communication to or from Korriban. To signal her in itself would have been a capital offense, as it would have endangered their operation to unearth the tomb. The last thing Tavion would have wanted was to be discovered before it was unearthed. That wasn't in my best interest. Getting to Korriban from Yavin would have been almost two days, so I couldn't afford to wait that long. On top of that, it would have been at least four days before the Jedi could be there if I signaled them once I was on Korriban. By coming to Yavin IV in person and providing them with the critical intelligence and security codes I possessed, they could organize a task force sufficient to stop Tavion if they acted quickly.

Reaching the Jedi temple on Yavin IV seemed much easier than I thought it would be. I was surprised that no fighters were alerted to my presence. I suppose the Jedi assumed no one would've been stupid enough to try and attack them in their own fortress. Tavion taught me that they were weak and cowardly, but I knew better than to underestimate them. Even Desann tried to wage a full scale invasion with an entire army of Reborn and was defeated. Foolish they may have been, but certainly not weak.

While I descended through the atmosphere, I received a transmission from an operator. "Unidentified vessel, this is the academy docking control. Please respond." I wasn't exactly familiar with the ship's communications system and couldn't open a channel with the operator before he spoke up again. "Unidentified vessel, we see you on an approach vector leading to the Jedi temple. If you do not respond or turn away, then we will have no choice but to consider your intention..."

When I finally got it right, I interrupted him. "Yes, yes, I'm here. What do you want?"

He paused a brief moment before answering. "Actually, that's what we were going to ask you. We would like to know the nature of your mission."

I leaned my head back in frustration. My mission? What... that I'm a Cult spy defecting to the Jedi with information that will save their miserable lives? Yeah, very believable. Then I realized it may have been more simple than that. "I request permission to land."

"I assumed as much, but that doesn't answer my question."

I was getting annoyed with this guy. "I have information about the Disciples of Ragnos. The Jedi will want to hear what I have to say. Allow me to land."

After a rather long moment of silence, he finally got back to me. "From our readings, your ship does not appear armed and you're the only life form aboard. I suppose your intentions don't appear hostile. Normally I would be required to turn away anyone who doesn't have proper clearance, but I'll disengage our surface defenses and allow you to proceed on your current course and land on platform B."

"Acknowledged." I said, slapping my palm hard upon the communication device to cut the channel. Normally I was very good at hiding my emotions, even after Tavion took me for her apprentice. But as the years passed, everything I thought and felt became increasingly apparent. Even the smallest irritant made me curse like a swindled Hutt. I hated that.

Not like I had to hide my feelings in any event, but I still felt it was better not to reveal my state of mind to anyone. Even when it came down to anger and hate, it often played to my advantage for an opponent to underestimate my resolve. To most people, an opponent who didn't scream and shout after being slapped in the face was weak and frail... or she just hid her rage until she was finally ready to strike back. And when such people found out that little girl wasn't in fact broken, but instead determined to destroy her captor... none of them expected her to lash back with such rage.

Bringing myself back into the moment, I had realized that I needed to calm down. Hitting the control panel, kicking the ship's navigation equipment when it malfunctioned, or shouting at the computer wouldn't make them operate any better. In fact, it had a tendency to make things worse. If I were to be taken seriously by the Jedi, I needed to be as controlled as possible. Sounded simple; but when it came to dealing with the Jedi, they had the habit of making things 10 times more difficult than they had to be.

I wasn't really sure what kind of greeting to expect, but they only made the situation more difficult by sending armed to deal with me. After climbing out of my ship, three Republic officers stood there, waiting for me. Only one wasn't carrying a rifle, although he carried a firearm at his belt, as he appeared to be the group's diplomat. Upon laying his eyes on me, the man and his escorts drew back. As the two guards slowly began lifting their weapons at me, the diplomat grabbed the barrels and forced them to the floor. "Don't!" The guy seemed desperate not to get into a fire fight, nor to threaten a dark Jedi. When he finally looked me in the eye, the guy realized his duty and addressed me. "Please excuse our... reaction. We were told to expect an informant. If we had known who we were letting in..."

I didn't have time for chitchat. "Where is Skywalker?" I demanded.

The guy hesitated to answer, probably not expecting such a demand to be made right away. "Master Skywalker is preoccupied at the moment."

"It can wait." I declared, walking past the officers.

"Wait madam, you can't...!" Despite his attempts to stop me, I just continued through the hanger area. The diplomat took out a com link and activated it. "You didn't say that she was a Jedi." The receiver responded, although I couldn't hear it exactly. "Inform Master Horn. We'll keep track of her, but there's not much we can do if she becomes hostile."

I turned myself around and stared down that diplomat guy and his guards. I extended my arm and pointed at them as if to use the Force on them. They brought up their weapons again, but violence wasn't remotely what I had in mind. Twitching my right index finger, I gestured with it. "Go away."

I had to say that I found it amusing to watch that guy's face when his two guards walked off, leaving only him to deal with me. He didn't fall for the mind trick, but he was quick to follow their lead. Maybe he realized that there wasn't much that he could do; the smartest thing was just to turn tail and run. Let someone else deal with me.

Although there were a few mechanics tending to ships in the massive hanger, none were Jedi. It wasn't long before I started attracting some serious attention. They all stared at me in disbelief, and most didn't know what to do. It was obvious to them that I shouldn't have been roaming the area, yet none were willing to sound the alarm. It wasn't until I actually entered the temple that I was confronted by the Jedi.

Upon reaching the hanger elevators, I found four Jedi standing in my way, all with sabers in hand. My every instinct told me to draw mine and stand ready, but I couldn't do that. I was not there to fight; not like it would have done any good. There were far too many for me to possibly hope to fend off, let alone get through, still it was very difficult to leave myself so open like that.

One of the Jedi in front, I recognized to be Jedi Master Horn. His saber hilt was ready, but the blade wasn't deployed. He told one of the younger boys to stay behind and not to take me on by himself. I could tell that was a student... a boy, barely into his teen years. I also could see the worry in that child, as his master put himself into danger before an unknown threat... he worried for his master.

"You've come far enough. I don't know what you want, but you won't get it." He declared.

Staring at the boy, my answer was directed at him. "I'm not here to fight." Turning my attention to Horn. "I've come to help."

Scornfully, he talked down to me. "Like you helped Rosh Pennin? The way you murdered him in cold blood. "

"What?" I inquired.

He activated his lightsaber and waved it around in front of me. "Was it like this? Was he surrounded by enemies, weaponless? Was this what he felt before you slaughtered him?"

With the tip of his green blade only a few centimeters from my chest, I realized that going to that place was a mistake. Yet I didn't feel as though I had much reason to be concerned. Horn was like thunder: loud and scary, but virtually harmless... at least if I did nothing to threaten him. I looked him directly in the eye and spoke the truth. "I did not kill Pennin."

He didn't buy it... he wanted a justification to kill me. He most certainly didn't care about the truth, even when he sensed no deception from me. "And you're a good liar. I'm sure even you believe it."

"I didn't kill the little brat!" I let out, my anger quite obvious. "And even if I did, it's irrelevant. If you want to defeat the Disciples of Ragnos, you're going to need my help."

Horn scoffed, lowering his lightsaber. "And why would you... want to help us?"

I growled in frustration. "Let's make something perfectly clear: I'm only doing what's in my own interests. And it no longer does me any good to allow my master or her followers to complete their plan. I'm here to ensure that doesn't happen."

Horn extinguished his lightsaber. Still not entirely convinced, he wasn't exactly willing to pass up help if what I said were true. "What do you want?"

Finally! He obviously had no idea how short of time they really were. "Tell Skywalker I demand an immediate audience with him."

One of the Jedi behind him approached. "Master Skywalker is presently... dealing with another matter. He explicitly stated that he is not to be disturbed until..."

I burst out, hysterically. "You don't have the time!" Calming myself, I continued in a more controlled tone. "Events are already in motion. Whatever Skywalker is dealing with... it can wait."

Horn did appear to notice my sense of urgency and maybe wanted to know what Skywalker intended to do with me. He twisted his head to the other Jedi behind him and made the choice. "I actually have to agree with her. Luke needs to know about this." He looked me in the eye again. "I will take you to Master Skywalker's chamber; he'll decide what to do with you. However, I must ask that you surrender your lightsabers. If your motives are peaceful, then you will not need them."

As he extended his hand to accept the weapons I carried, I felt insulted that he would believe I was helpless without my weapons. Although his demand was reasonable, his tone of voice and the pesky comment at the end really irritated me. Not like I intended to fight in any event, but for him to think I was stupid enough to actually refuse his demand? I made too much out of small gestures and tended to over think things that didn't matter. I just wished that he had simply demanded my weapons and left it at that. That comment about not needing my weapons if my motives were peaceful... was he that stupid?

I removed both my lightsabers from my belt and presented them to him with a swift and somewhat elegant gesture. He took both at the same moment and assumed I'd let go, but I hadn't loosened my grip just yet. When he lifted his head again, I spoke. "I would tell you that I'm going to want them back, but I assume you already know that." When I finally let him take the weapons, I neatly folded my arms across my chest. "You also don't have to remind me that I'm not welcome here. And that I am to respect your rules for as long as you allow me to remain."

Horn didn't seem to appreciate my comments, but it wasn't like he had anymore to add. After stepping back and handing off my lightsabers to his apprentice, he told the boy to put them somewhere safe, and then gestured me to the elevator. "After you. I insist."

I had to say that the Jedi were not as Tavion described them to be. While we were in the elevator, Horn threatened me yet again. He told me that I would receive no mercy from Skywalker if that was the reason I came. He actually grabbed me by the neck and held me against the wall of the lift once we were alone, demanding that I confess to 'my crime.' When I again defended my innocence over the death of Pennin, it only seemed to vex him further.

Releasing me, Horn said that Skywalker was not as easy to fool as he was. And then gestured me to proceed down the hallway once the elevator door opened. Not once did he walk with his back to me. Even when he lead the way, Horn remained at my side. Obviously he had no reason to trust me, which I unfortunately understood and agreed with. It was unfortunate because I had to allow myself to be treated in such a way without fighting back. If anyone else had done that to me, aside from Tavion... he'd be dead.

As we walked through a dim-lit hallway, I saw an open doorway ahead. The room was lit far better than the hallway, which was why I could distinguish someone's shadow before he even came into view. I almost came to a dead stop when I saw the shadow, but it was not until the figure emerged that Horn continued right past me. For all that time that he was so careful to keep me in front, for him to show his back at that moment was peculiar. It was almost as though he felt he could trust that person to watch his back while he wasn't looking.

It was Skywalker who had stepped into the hallway. From his demeanor, I had to assume that he already knew about me, which was why he came out to confront us. Horn bowed and spoke first. "Sir, Tavion's apprentice..."

Skywalker just nodded and went past Horn, coming directly at me. "Thank you for bringing her. Please leave us."

"As you wish, Master Skywalker." Horn slowly turned about and did as he was told, although he was in no rush to depart.

Skywalker seemed just as anxious about speaking to me as I was with him, but Horn's presence really disrupted our first meeting. Standing right in front of me, Skywalker's attention was on the other Jedi, noticeably irritated that he had to wait for Horn to go away before he could speak to me. When he did, Skywalker didn't so much as give me a proper greeting. All he did was offer me a key card and gestured to the ceiling. "This isn't the best time or place for you to be right now. There's a chamber on the level directly above us. This key will grant you access. I have to take care of this and I'll be with you in a few minutes."

When he turned about, I couldn't help wondering what the hell just happened. Yeah, I understood his instructions, but why did he just do that? Why did he make no formal greetings, call off my escort, and give me a key card? Actually it was a master key card that handed me, one of which could open any security door in the temple. So he essentially gave me free access to the entire temple. And yet, I couldn't find the nerve to move from that location; that just had to be some kind of trick.

It was then that I heard Skywalker's voice in the next chamber as he tried to conclude his conversation. "Look Kyle, I'll trust your judgment. If you feel that you need to take an extended leave of absence as well, then you do what you must. I've only got a few more minutes before I'm needed somewhere else, so we need to resolve this."

Katarn's voice followed. "I understand how bad things are, Luke. But maybe you aren't exactly aware of my situation. This thing with Tavion... if I hadn't spared her all those years ago, Rosh would still be alive."

Skywalker replied. "And what if you had killed her? Would you have remained true to the light as..."

Katarn interrupted. "Don't give me that crap, Luke! You may be in to that kind of thing, but I find it hard to believe that would try and justify Jedi ideals at a time like now. Rosh died because I did things your way. And she nearly took Jaden as well."

"Kyle..."

"I'll do my duty, Luke. But if you had any sense, you would be the one insisting that I sit this one out. Because if I ever see Tavion again, I will kill her for what she's done."

And then I heard Korr's voice. "Kyle."

Katarn sighed and apologized for what he said. "I'm sorry. I know I'm taking this far too personally. I just wish that there were something we could do, other than just waiting for them to make their next move. With all the power they've collected in that scepter, Tavion's followers have more powerful than ever."

Skywalker addressed that. "I don't believe that empowering followers with the dark side is Tavion's ultimate goal. I've noticed a pattern in both Cult and Imperial Remnant activities which indicate separate agendas. There have been no reports on Cult activity in the last few days, but I don't think they've gone into hiding. Whatever their plan is, they must be close to completing it."

"Any ideas as to what it might be?"

Skywalker paused a moment and attempted to take his leave of them. "I'm hoping that we may soon find out."

Although Skywalker told me to report to the upper level, I had been so interested in the conversation that I remained just outside the door. It was then that I decided to reveal myself to Katarn, as he was bound to discover me in any event. I felt that confronting him directly would at least show some dignity on my part. "I can tell you." Stepping into the doorway and into the light, they saw me for what I was. First seeing Katarn's back to me and Skywalker approaching the doorway, the only one sitting on the floor was Korr. The sound of my voice wasn't something they expected to hear again, but it came as a shock to all of them.

Korr stood up from behind her master and Katarn shot himself around, both quickly going from a state of relative sadness to extreme rage. With his brow furrowed, Katarn took a few steps towards me in a threatening manner. "You've got a lot of nerve showing yourself here."

Korr moved up to her master's side. "Actually we should thank you. It saves us the trouble of hunting you down." As she spoke, the girl slowly came at me, although Katarn held her back.

Ignoring their threats, I told them exactly what we were dealing with. "The situation is worse than you realize. Tavion intends to use the scepter to resurrect Marka Ragnos. If that happens, no one will be able to stop him."

After a very brief moment of silence, Korr tried to contemplate bringing someone back from death. Looking at Katarn, she asked his advice. "Is that even possible?"

As Skywalker began speaking, all our attention was on him. "The Force holds a great many secrets that we have yet to understand. There have been theories that with a high enough concentration of Force energy infused into a body... it could regenerate dead cells and bring the person back to life. I can't say that for certain, but I believe the scepter's energy would be sufficient for such a thing."

As I continued, their attention came back to me. "That's what Tavion believes will happen. She uses the staff to revive Marka Ragnos, the resurrected Sith Lord takes control of the galaxy. He annihilates the Jedi, and only those loyal to him would serve under his rule."

Katarn shook his head. "One Sith Lord... that's not a good thing, but it's not like Ragnos can overpower all of us, can he?"

Skywalker explained the threat. "The power within the scepter is enormous. If its power were in the hands of someone like Ragnos, he could very well be more dangerous than he ever was in life. I can't underestimate the danger that a revived Sith Lord represents."

Passing between both Korr and Katarn, I addressed my next statement directly at Skywalker. "Which is why you need to rally your forces to keep that from happening. The scepter is ready, but Tavion has yet to excavate Ragnos' tomb and recover his remains. If you act quickly, you may be able to stop her before they can unearth them."

Skywalker turned about and looked out the window. Korr continued to sneer at me with great hostility. Katarn just shook his head in doubt. "I don't know about this, Luke. It's a good story, but it seems a bit too convenient that we should learn this now. I think this is just another deception on Tavion's part."

I turned and rudely moved my face centimeters from Katarn's. "It's the truth, whether you choose to believe it or not. Obviously you have no reason to, but I do know you will take me seriously."

Katarn grabbed me by the collar and tried to intimidate me with more shouting. "You flatter yourself! You're just like your master, switching to whatever side best suits you!"

"Kyle!" Luke shouted, breaking him away from me. "Jaden." he gently asked. "Would you please leave us? I'll deal with the matter."

Jaden raised her head to look me straight in the eye, almost as if to silently tell me how much she hated me. When Katarn turned for the door, he put his arm around the girl's opposite shoulder to turn her around in a friendly way. "I'm sorry, Jaden. This is the last thing you need right now. Don't worry, Luke's got it under control."

I tried not to let my eyes wander, but I found myself watching those two again. The exchange of contact comfort and those words of assurance left me with a sense of... loneliness. I didn't know why Korr was so upset, but I wish I knew what it was like to have a master who really cared for me. I mean... Tavion did protect me from harm when she first took me, but it was my power that she wanted to nurture. It toughened me so that I would be strong, but only so long as it helped me to better serve her purposes. Was that really what I wanted?

Katarn had taken one last glance at me before passing through the doorway; it was the same look he gave to me back on Taspir. If only he knew my motives were genuine, then he might have been more grateful that I had come to that place. Not like I was doing it for the Jedi, but he could have at least been a little less hostile.

Skywalker approached and gestured to a cushion on the floor. "Why don't we sit down?"

I silently refused, preferring to stand.

He shrugged his shoulders and took another cushion for himself, regardless of what I did. "I really wished that you had done what I asked. I was hoping to avoid such a confrontation."

Maybe it was off topic, but I really had a question for him. "You seemed to know that I was outside before even laying eyes on me. Did you...?"

"I sensed you, yes." he answered.

"Strange that those two didn't." I implied.

"Well they weren't actively looking. I had sensed you from orbit, although I didn't figure out exactly who it was until after Kyle and Jaden told me their story."

I sighed and turned my back to him, knowing what was coming next. "And what did they say?"

He hesitated for a moment before telling me. "Kyle said that you had Rosh Pennin killed and that Jaden nearly fell to the dark side over his death. He also told me about the fight that happened after that."

"I didn't kill Pennin." I spoke.

"I believe you."

Instinctively, I shot my head around to look him in the eye. What he said came as a complete surprise to me. I never would have expected someone in his position would speak that he believed an enemy over the word of two of his allies. By the seriousness in his expression, I knew he believed me.

He remained silent for a moment, just enough to let it sink in. "They told me the truth, although I could tell they knew more than they shared with me." He stood up and confronted me. "It was Jaden, wasn't it?"

I had no idea why, but it really affected me to hear him speak those words. To dark Jedi, fratricide was almost encouraged; but to Jedi... it was probably the worst crime they could commit. Yet for reasons that eluded me, I took some of the responsibility off her head. "Yeah, it was her. My orders were to provoke Katarn's 'good' student into striking down the other. Tavion felt that it would be more painful if Katarn had to be the one to strike her down."

He nodded grimly and went over to the window. "I did sense much guilt within her, but I had thought it was because Jaden believed she could've saved him. But I find it most disturbing that neither she nor Kyle shared that with me."

"With respect, Luke Skywalker..." I waited for him to withdraw from the window before continuing. "...there are more urgent matters that we must discuss."

Understanding that much more was at stake than just three or four lives, even his own... Skywalker put aside his personal feelings and got himself back into the proper mindset. "Yes, of course. Ragnos."

"Yes. When last we spoke, nearly three days ago, the scepter had collected what she believed would be enough Force energy to resurrect the Sith Lord. But Ragnos' remains have yet to be recovered. That's what we have to prevent them from doing." I explained.

"Korriban?"

"Yes, that's where you need to send your forces. We... the Cult have already landed an expedition force to unearth the tomb, but they have yet to locate it."

Skywalker looked perplexed. "That's... not possible. We've monitored no unusual activity around Korriban, otherwise I would've been notified. Korriban is a system that I keep track of."

I didn't know whether I wanted to smile or not, as it would have meant they owed everything to me. Yet I would much rather that the Jedi have not been so careless, otherwise they would have upgraded the sensor network that kept track of Korriban. I did like making people swallow their pride, so gave him a smug expression. "You might not want to put such confidence in a sensor system that can't distinguish between asteroids and capital ships. You never know if one of those 'asteroids' in the Dennorious Belt may just happen to be a Star Destroyer attempting to slip past unnoticed."

As he stared at me, Skywalker realized that we had anticipated and overcame the sensor system watching Korriban. Maybe he also needed a moment to really absorb how bad the situation really was. He knew that Tavion had outflanked him again.

As for me, I gestured to the door. "You might want to take this opportunity to assess Korriban. And you might want to call some of your admiral friends and ask if they'd be kind enough to eradicate the Cult forces before it's too late."

Skywalker stared at me for another brief moment, quite convinced that what I told him was the truth. When he finally came to his senses, he went for the door. "I'll contact Admiral Fogel right away; his fleet is only a few light-years away from that system. What kind of opposition should we expect?"

I followed him into the hallway. "One star destroyer. That's all Tavion needed and any more would have attracted unwanted attention."

"That's fortunate. Our forces have been spread pretty thin in that sector, but I'm sure Fogel will be able to spare a task force capable of stopping the Cult."

"How long?" I asked.

Not turning himself around, Luke shrugged his shoulders. "They'll get there when they get there, and not a moment later." Once we reached the elevator, he twisted himself around to address me. "I'm going to call an emergency meeting in the war room and I'm going to need you there to provide us with whatever intelligence support we may need."

"I'm no expert on starship tactics. I don't know what else I can provide that would be as useful as what I've told you just now."

As the elevator door opened, he and I stepped in and waited for it to close again. "Perhaps. Maybe not. What I want is for you to observe the situation as it becomes known to us and maybe to offer any details that we may have overlooked. Would you do that?"

I couldn't help finding the whole thing amusing. Only a day ago, he wouldn't have had reason to trust me with his lunch credits. Suddenly, now he's inviting me to hear all their top-level military secrets? I had to say that I felt more confident about the way Master Horn doubted everything that came out of my mouth than... this. "Oh... am I to assume you'll trust me? I find it hard to believe that you of all people wouldn't be suspicious of me."

Skywalker nodded and then stepped out of the elevator once the door opened. "If it makes you feel better, I'll admit that I don't trust you." As he said that, Skywalker and I just stopped in the hallway and shared a look that seemed to acknowledge exactly who each of us were. "Although I am appreciative for what you've provided me, I still have reservations about your motives. I won't dismiss anything you may have to say, but if you give me good reason to doubt you..."

I gestured him to stop and nodded to him. "I'm not here to make friends. I simply came to inform you of what Tavion intends to do. It is not in my best interests to deceive you, as I don't want Ragnos resurrected anymore."

Luke nodded again and gestured to a high-security door further down the hallway. "Before we go on, there are a few things that need to be addressed. This is our operation; not yours. When we contact admiral Fogel, you are not to be an active participant unless you're invited into the discussion. If you speak out of turn, or are otherwise disruptive, you'll be escorted out."

I was getting impatient. Every moment he spent dawdling was one more moment Tavion had to find the tomb on Korriban. "Whatever, just get it done. If my presence will slow you down, then don't include me."

He gestured me to calm down. "Alora... I'm just as eager to stop Tavion as you are, but there are some things that you're going to need to be patient about. If we're not moving as fast as you would like, it's because we can't go any faster. When we contact Admiral Vogel, it may take some time for him to dispatch a task force to defend Korriban. No matter how much you may disagree with how we deal with him, the fastest way to get this done is to be as professional about this as possible."

"Alright, let's just get on with it!" I shouted, impatiently.

He looked as though he were going to complain about my outburst, but then got the sense that his pointless stalling was only making me more frustrated. When he got the sense to just leave it be, he reluctantly nodded. "Alright." As Skywalker approached the door, he started searching his clothing for something, but couldn't find it. It took me a moment, but I figured it out as soon as I saw the keycard slot next to the door.

That keycard he had given me earlier was still in my pocket, so I grabbed it and made my way a few paces ahead of him so that I could insert it... allowing him to just walk through without having to stop. Of course when he made it to the door, he stopped nonetheless and extended an open hand towards me.

I briefly glanced at the key before placing it in his palm. I suppose that I wanted to show him that he had quite carelessly handed me unrestricted access to the entire temple. That was the reason that I inserted the card for him, rather than being asked to surrender it. Upon having it returned, he slid it into his pocket. "Thank-you."


	3. Chapter 3

I'm sorry about the delay since the last update, but this chapter was rather difficult to complete. I greatly extended it from the original version, but found it difficult to add content without needlessly extending the story without progressing the plot. More is better, but an abundance of words detracts from the quality. I always appreciate feedback and reviews. I typically write fictions that people like, and I know if people like them if they take only one or two minutes to leave feedback. Comments or criticisms are always appreciated. Any ideas or improvements are even better and I encourage readers to let me know what they would like to see.

This chapter is primarily to go into Alora's character a bit more by showing how quickly she can shift from feeling sorry for herself to stepping up to do what's required. I also wanted to give another instance where she goes from being the cold, heartless Sith to actually feeling emotions that she thought had been purged from her soul. I'll try to get the next chapter up soon, but could really go for some ideas that I haven't thought of.

* * *

Impotence

Something about Skywalker really struck me as odd. He seemed so much like an innocent child by his warm demeanor, yet he seemed to possess great wisdom and control. Tavion taught me that manners were a tool of the weak, yet I wouldn't have put it past Skywalker to back his skill in diplomacy with a mastery of the lightsaber.

Tavion also told me that my skills in both fighting and the Force were superior to any Jedi, which maybe even she believed. She taught me that I was the best. Even I believed it, but after that battle with Korr... I suddenly felt impudent in the presence of so many Jedi Masters. I didn't have to see any of them in combat to know that they weren't intimidated by me. They looked at me as though I were a disobedient little girl, able to stir up trouble; but ultimately beneath their contempt. It was a most demoralizing experience.

In four years of training with Tavion, I had done very well for myself against Reborn and Cultists. After watching Korr and Katarn slaughter so many of our best warriors, I realized that all my opponents were far inferior to real Jedi. I supposed that went to the credit of their superior training and amazing strength in the Force. Suddenly I felt like I had been reduced from an alpha to something much smaller. It was an unfortunate truth, but I had to accept that I wasn't ever as great as I was lead to believe.

I wished I could say it was a relief, but there was nothing I liked about having the truth forced down my throat. If Ragnos returned, he would have shown no mercy to one such as me. Was it better to die to preserve one's pride, or live in shame for the rest of your life? I couldn't speak for the first, but I had to say the second option wasn't that much better. I hated feeling impotent, and that was how I probably would feel for the rest of my life. All that pride, all that power, all that I thought I was... for nothing.

As I played a witness to events that would ultimately shape the galaxy, not to mention going against everything I've known in the last four years of my life, I noticed a commotion escalating in the background. Sometimes the mistake of a single idiot could compromise the most brilliant strategic designs drawn up by the wisest of people. I couldn't escape the irony of how much easier it was to destroy something than it was to build it in the first place. And it was then that one foolish act nearly changed the fortunes of us all.

In the war room, Skywalker had gathered some of his best Jedi to debate their strategy. There were two Republic admirals in the debate as well, standing upon holographic projectors. They were supposed to be the most worthy of the Republic, aside from the Jedi of course; but even they were not above the pursuit of fortune and glory. Such simplistic and selfish values often came at great expense to everyone else.

Admiral Fogel, unaware of the severity of the situation, told Skywalker that he had already committed his fleet to engage Cult forces on another front. Tavion had dispatched a task force of about nine cruisers and destroyers to act as a diversion so that her lone star destroyer could slip through without opposition. The Jedi saw the plan for what it was; but despite Master Durron's recommendations, Fogel stupidly took the bait and did exactly as Tavion wanted.

"Your fleet's in what system?" Durron shouted.

"This is what you get!" an infuriated Master Horn added. "We told you not to dispatch them!"

"How could you ignore our warning?" Another voiced in protest.

"It's worst-case scenario. We're screwed." Another stated, more disappointed than angry.

I couldn't stand their whining and forced myself into the debate. "Shut up! None of that matters anymore!" I addressed the holographic admiral. "You can discuss your failure later! It's what happened and now we have to deal with it."

The admiral sneered at me. "Who is this? How dare she..."

"Admiral..." Skywalker interrupted, wedging himself between me and the holographic admiral. "What is the condition of your fleet? How long would it take to mobilize an attack on Korriban?"

"I've lost two destroyers, two cruisers disabled: temporarily abandoned, and three others can't achieve hyperspace. The other three... they wouldn't be able to engage even a single star destroyer." he answered.

Luke looked to the other admiral. "Admiral Tejeda, how long would it take if you were to send reinforcements from your sector?"

"Our closest ships would need at least three days to reach Korriban, but that would require pulling them from..." Tejeda tried to answer before being interrupted.

"Do whatever you must to take out the star destroyer orbiting Korriban. We will take full responsibility for whatever repercussions may come about because of this." Luke commanded.

"If that is the will of the Jedi, then I will dispatch a task force. But the fastest we can hope to reach that system would be at least three days." she answered.

"Do your best, admiral. We'll need all the support you can spare." Luke concluded.

As both admirals acknowledged their orders and cut their transmission , Skywalker put his hand under his chin to meditate on the situation. The other Jedi started debating amongst themselves.

"Idiot! There were no civilians in danger; he just wanted to add another battle star to his record! The jackass may have just handed the Cult their ultimate victory." One yelled.

"This probably was the fault of some senator who was more interested in keeping his merchant ships operating than letting the military do its job." Another suggested.

Skywalker didn't interact with anyone, but instead attempted to move through the commotion and get in front to address everyone. One tried to engage him. "Master Skywalker, didn't they understand the threat they faced before...?"

Luke raised his hand to get everyone's attention. "Quiet down, everyone." Only a few heeded his order, but the arguing continued amongst those who didn't hear him over the bickering. Realizing that his message fell upon deaf ears, he yet maintained a controlled and calm voice. Only noticeably louder did he exclaim so that all could hear. "Quiet down, quiet down! Let's remain calm, people." While moving to the front of the room, he kept silent until he knew he had everyone's attention. "I know that the situation may seem bad, but it's important that we all realize that we're in a far better position to address the Cult threat than we were only a few hours ago. Although they've lured our fleet out of position, we at least know what they're planning. More importantly is that they don't yet realize that we've received outside help, so we may be able to catch them unprepared."

"So with the nearest fleet in shambles, and the other too far away to be of any good... I'm sure they'd be very surprised if we managed to muster any kind of task force." Katarn mocked.

"The Fleet may be out of position, but we're not. And we would attract a lot less attention than would a fleet of cruisers." Skywalker stated.

Everyone in the room, including myself, seemed to know what Skywalker suggested. It seemed like a last resort kind of measure; but if the Jedi were everyone's last hope, then they had to do the job. Still, I didn't like the idea. It would have been so much easier if they could've just destroyed everything from orbit with heavy cruisers.

Skywalker continued, accessing the controls to the holo projector. As the galaxy map came to life and zoomed in to display only the systems in our sector, two of which were highlighted. "We're much closer to Korriban than Admiral Vogel's ships, and our ships are faster. We could make the journey within a day. Rather than an orbital bombardment, we'll have to take the battle to the surface. Undoubtedly they'll have a massive force of Reborn and Force-sensitive Cultists, but we've already demonstrated that our superior training more than compensates for their strength in numbers."

Mara Jade, of whom had been very quiet up until that point, finally spoke up. "Sounds like a plan. And it's probably the best we'll come up with. I say we get going now and once we know what we're up against, we can come up with something better once we get there."

Luke gestured something to her that I couldn't quite make out, although it displayed affection in some way. "We're not taking off just yet. It seems to me that our objectives are twofold: first, we must find Tavion and destroy the scepter, but in the likely event we fail...""

Durron finished his statement. "We locate the tomb first and defend it."

Luke seemed to appreciate having his sentence finished, as it showed a clear understanding of what had to be done. He closed his eyes and made a single nod to Durron.

One of the Jedi there was a male twi'lek, who voiced his opinion as well. "Wait... you suggest we go in and engage their entire garrison by ourselves? There must be thousands of troops. And their dark Jedi have had years' more training than those who were under Desann's command."

I knew exactly what we were going against, which was why I spoke up without being asked to contribute. "That's right. Tavion has over a hundred of her best warriors; these she trained almost as well as any Jedi. The cultists are just pathetic, but those that Tavion had chosen to go with her are not to be taken lightly. In addition, they have surface to air missile emplacements and other air defense measures to prevent such an attack."

Luke didn't address my comment, but instead felt the need to demand more info from me. "Alora, do you have any idea as to how long Tavion would need to unearth the tomb? Can you give us any kind of estimate?"

Everyone's eyes were suddenly on me, including Katarn's. I could tell that he wouldn't believe anything I said, but it didn't really matter in any event. I had no answers to yield. "None. Tavion didn't really share that much with me. All she knew was that the tomb is in the Valley of the Dark Lords. How she learned this, I have no idea."

"Then I'm afraid we can't take any chances. We'll have to prepare one of our largest and most complex operations since the founding of the academy, and we'll have to organize everything as quickly as possible." He turned his head to address Durron. "Kyp, we're going on full alert. I want you to sound the alarm; have every knight and student report to the audience chamber. Tell our support personnel to report to their stations."

"Aye sir." He reluctantly nodded and did as he was told, making his way for one of the control panels in the room.

As he did that, Skywalker made a statement to everyone else in the room. "We're going to have to organize this assault into two phases. We're going to dispatch one team almost as soon as we can get our fighters launched. This group's objective will be to reach Korriban as quickly as possible and be prepared to engage the Cult if and when they locate the tomb. That will allow us to take action in as little as 16 hours. The second team will take our remaining ships, which are much slower. Our transport ships can bring all our remaining knights, apprentices, Republic troops, and any additional resources we can provide, almost a day behind them."

As Durron stood ready to activate the intercom system, he waited for Skywalker to finish before sounding the alert. Luke gestured him to hold off for one more moment. "I believe that this is our best course of action, given the uncertainty of our enemy's situation. If our first team should discover that the Cult is still in the process of unearthing the tomb, they can decide how best to proceed. Whether they can slow the progress of their excavation, wait for the bulk of our strike force to arrive, or in directly engaging them, I will support whatever they should decide." He went over to one of his Jedi and spoke directly to him. "I am appointing Master Solusar to plan and coordinate our forces for the first wave of this operation." He then addressed Solusar, speaking to him and not everyone else. "I will leave it up to you to organize the resources and Jedi that you'll need for the first wave of this attack. Whatever ships we have are also at your disposal."

Solusar seemed quite eager to begin, but had reservations about accepting the responsibility he had been given. It was clear from my perspective that he wasn't up to the task of commanding a task force. "Sir, I really think that it should be you leading the first wave. You're a better judge when it comes down to these kind of situations."

Skywalker seemed so passionate about having Solusar go in ahead of him that he placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But you're the better tactician. If we encounter a worse-case scenario, I need someone who can organize an attack plan very quickly. If you do not believe you're up to the task, I can do it; but someone needs to assemble the bulk of our forces for the second wave. I can't do that while I'm en route and you can't formulate an attack plan if we switch places."

Solusar sighed and nodded. He didn't like the responsibility he had been given, but Solusar seemed determined to do his duty to the best of his ability. "I'll take our fastest ships we have and assemble our best knights. We'll be ready to engage the Cult within a day."

Skywalker nodded and then looked to Durron, who stood ready at the intercom system. He gestured the other Jedi to sound the alarm. "Kyp."

As Skywalker turned his attention back to Solusar, his conversation overlapped with the sound of an alarm blaring throughout the entire Jedi Temple. It was an electronic siren that seemed to pierce into one's soul... it was the call of war. Although it was not particularly loud in the control room, I could tell by the echoes in the hallway just how severe the situation really was.

Although my attention wasn't focused on Skywalker and Solusar, I heard another exchange of words. "Don't engage the Cult if you can wait for the second wave to arrive. By then, we'll have every Jedi knight and over a thousand Republic troops on Korriban in 48 hours."

As the alarm stopped blaring, Durron activated the intercom system. His voice soon filled the halls, as every speaker in the temple came alive with his message. "Attention: this is not a drill. All Jedi and padawans are to report to the audience chamber immediately. Be equipped and ready to depart. All support personnel: we are going on full alert. Hands to action stations."

I found the mood in the chamber to be quite eerie in the moment that followed Durron's announcement. A very brief moment of silence was followed by another three cycles of alarm blaring, only to descend back into utter silence. No one in that room spoke for the duration that the alarm called everyone else into action, as if they all needed to grasp the reality of the situation.

I also had noticed the way many of the displays in that room displayed a symbol that started pulsing red. It was a visual reminder that they were on full alert, and the rhythmic flashing every few seconds seemed to overwhelm one's visual senses while the utter silence proved a sharp contrast to that. Between flashing red lights in my eyes, and my ears completely deprived of any sound... I never quite had a moment like that in my life.

When Skywalker knew he had everyone's attention, he calmly paced his way to the center of the room. "There is likely going to be a lot of fear going around until this situation is resolved. It will be important that we show everyone the confidence we'll need to defeat Tavion or even Ragnos if we have to. Time will not be on our side, but we've been in tighter situations before and succeeded. I know we can do this, but there will be serious time pressure over the next day or two. It will be important that we not rush to get everything done. We must remind them of that." Gesturing to the door, he lead the way. "In the meantime, we're needed in the audience chamber."

* * *

What the hell was wrong with me? The last time I was curled up in a ball was before Tavion found me. That's how I was as I sat in the back of the audience chamber. I didn't want to be there, but Skywalker insisted that I be where he could keep an eye on me. Everyone else had been standing in the front of the room as Solusar gathered several Jedi for his task force.

Occasionally being glanced upon, they all seemed agitated by my presence. They all knew that I was in the back of the chamber, but none would turn around for more than a few seconds at a time. They stared at me. Their eyes weren't fixed on the red twi'lek in the back, but they were staring. Those Jedi children just didn't know what to make of me, which was why they couldn't fix their eyes somewhere else.

The masters and knights were a bit more mature about it, but even they couldn't help looking back every now and again. One in particular stood out from the rest, a young twi'lek male. He had rich blue skin and something about his eyes that made me want to wring his neck. I hated males of my own kind because they paid absolutely no respect to the fairer sex. They always had this look in their eyes that seemed to portray their dominance. That damned Jedi boy looked as if he were about to cry.

He probably wasn't a boy, but probably was at least five years younger than I was. Probably would have been very handsome to a woman who cared, but I most certainly wasn't attracted. I noticed how his lekku twitched and flexed when he saw me looking back at him... yeah, like he'd think he could ever have me! I played along, pretending I was interested, gave a wink, blew a kiss at him, and it confused the guy. Then I rolled my eyes and gave him an insulting hand gesture.

When he realized that I was only mocking him, the guy looked away, as if I had diminished his more masculine qualities. I almost giggled at how easily one could hurt a man's pride. They thought too much with that thing in their trousers... I just wish the women of my kind would have had the courage to stand up to them.

As Solusar gathered the last of his task force, one of the last knights he selected was right in front of me. The knight, who's name was Kreed, had a padawan at his side. Upon having his name called, Kreed turned to the child and gave his farewell to the girl. She begged her master to come along, but Kreed assured her that the girl was still too young. He also told her that they would see each other again.

As he embraced the little one, watching the two gnawed at my soul. He clearly wasn't her father, yet he treated that little girl as if she were his own child. Kreed behaved as a father... as any real father would towards that child. She was lucky to have someone who cared for her like that. Unlike my own father...

Just as I felt a tear actually stream down my cheek, it seemed to snap me back into the proper mind set. Such feelings were weakness! Crying and temper tantrums were the acts of children; I was above that. Shaking my head, I tried to push those thoughts aside in order to maintain my self-control; but even that wasn't enough.

Wiping away the tear, I buried my head against my thighs to try and shut them out. When I thought it couldn't get any worse, Solusar felt the need to comfort that little girl. As if he felt it was his responsibility to caudal the child for taking her master away on a dangerous mission, he kneeled before the girl to ease her fear. "Tashi... I know that you're afraid for your master, but you shouldn't be. It's the duty of every Jedi; he understands this."

The girl still wasn't satisfied. She sounded as though she were suffering horribly. "But what if he gets hurt? Please don't go Master Kreed."

That little girl just didn't know when it was time to be stoic, which was something I learned before I was five. She had no reason to be whining and they didn't have the time to put up with her pathetic little complaints. It was then that I lashed out at her, standing up and screaming in her face. "Would you just shut up! It doesn't matter what you want; the decision's been made! Live with it!"

Suddenly everyone's eyes were on me, and I felt utterly embarrassed to be in that position. They stared at me as if to wonder whether I were deranged or just foolish. My breathing was erratic, emotional composure had been shattered, and I felt humiliated. If Tavion had seen me like that, she would have killed me without giving it a second thought... and she would have been right to do so.

Kreed had actually positioned himself between me and the little girl while I had been shouting. It was as if he just instinctively moved to protect her from a potential threat... it made me hate that little girl so much more. One so weak as her didn't deserve that kind of protection, yet that's exactly what she had.

The eyes of everyone in that chamber also reminded me of just how alone I really was. Of the dozens of Jedi in that room, I was on my own. The only reason I was still alive was because I wasn't important enough to capture or kill. All that could easily change if I gave them reason to do so.

It was exactly like walking a balance beam over a lava pit... it was easy to cross, yet the slightest loss of control meant certain death. That actually was a challenge that Tavion put me through during my training, which probably served me very well in that moment. Deep in the enemy's camp, I couldn't afford to make the slightest error.

What seemed like an eternity probably only spanned a few seconds. Stunned and terrified, I slowly withdrew from that chamber. Only a few meters away from the entrance and with no one in my path, I slithered my way out of the chamber without speaking another word. I also refused to turn my back to them, maybe to avoid making my retreat appear like I were running away.

Ducking into the hallway, I suddenly felt a huge relief at simply having a wall between me and them. About all the protection a stone wall provided was from their relentless gazing, but that made me feel much better than before. I still had been deep inside their fortress with no hope of ever turning back. I was a traitor to the Cult, an enemy to the Jedi, and I had destroyed everything I had made for myself in the last four years.

The worst part of this whole thing was that I had absolutely no idea what to do next. I left myself without a direction. Disoriented. Derelict. Without purpose. No longer anyone's servant, I was free. For the first time in all my life, I was free to do whatever I pleased... and it was terrible. My entire world had been completely shattered.

After escaping into the hallway, that was about as far as I managed to get. I could not understand why it was so difficult, but I found that I had no idea what to do next. It was like being trapped in a state of utter chaos without a sense of direction or purpose. It probably didn't sound so terrible, but I could honestly say that I regret what I've done.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm sorry about the delay, but I do have another two updates coming up which are very close to completion. I assure you that this was worth the wait. I consider this one of the best pieces I've ever written. Feedback good/bad is always appreciated.

After much consideration, I've decided that I'm going to use multiple first person perspective for both Alora and Jaden in the first section of this story. Given as I've changed the story to make Jaden kill Rosh, I think that readers might want to know how things are for her as well. I'm still going to switch to 3rd person at chapter 7, but I'm going to have Jaden come in for the next part of this chapter. I really wanted to at least show more of where Alora came from.

Thanks to my last two commentators. It's always a joy to get them.

The Horrors of Loss

**Alora**

I wasn't happy with the way my life had turned. As much as I wished events happened differently, it was futile to consider a life that never could be. Wishful thinking didn't change one's reality, and it only reminded her just how miserable that life really was. What good did it do to imagine myself living a normal life? Where would I not have been if Tavion hadn't found me? If I had killed Korr, would I still have wanted to leave the Sith?

Actually, I kept reliving that fight in my mind. Every time, it turned out differently. Each time I could just imagine how much better I was than her, skillfully defeating her and standing over her dead body. If I had, I would've been able to return to Tavion. Having proven myself worthy of Ragnos' service, I would have been rewarded for my years of loyal service. And then I wouldn't have

find myself shaking my head, clearing my mind of the delusion. That wasn't what happened and there was nothing I could do to change it!

And each time reality slapped me in the face, I just wished that it had all been a bad dream I could just wake up from... but it wasn't. And I just felt trapped. There was no way to escape my fate. I had sunk to a level of mediocrity that I hadn't felt since I was bound in chains! I had been buried alive!

Although it probably was foolish to start wandering around the temple, I couldn't stand just sitting in one place any more. As my breathing intensified, I felt as though my surroundings were closing in around me. I knew they weren't, but every single irritation seemed to make me panic. My garb seemed so confining; I had to keep adjusting them. The ankle I twisted almost a full day ago still hadn't fully healed. When I cut a corner in the hallway, I banged my shoulder into a wall.

That impact seemed to escalate my emotional state into a one of total madness. It wasn't remotely close to an injury, but it hurt. And it wasn't like me to be so clumsy; everything just seemed to go wrong! Why the hell was my life falling apart?

Coming to that place was a mistake. Turning against Tavion and the Cult was a mistake. It was my hope that in escaping my destiny as a servant to Ragnos, that freeing myself would help me... actually I couldn't figure out why I turned against Tavion. As I began to hear the sound of Jedi X-wing and Y-wing fighters taking off, there came a terrible feeling in my gut. The deafening roars echoed in my ears, reminding me of the crime I had committed.

That was when I knew it was for real. Events were in motion that I could no longer stop. From that point on, all my hopes rested on the success of the Jedi... what had I come to? I knew I was weak to do so, but it didn't matter to me at that point. Korr had humiliated me enough as it was; what more could another feeble-minded decision bring about?

Actually I soon found out just how foolish such a notion really was. I tried to justify my actions by saying that I did it for personal gain, exactly as any Sith would; but I knew that I took the path of least resistance. It was an act of cowardice. And I hated myself for it.

There was no weakness in crying. Strange as it sounded, my opinion of Korr had not diminished at all since I watched her break down in front of me. I knew exactly what caused people to break like that. It wasn't because she was weak... she simply was a victim of misplaced anger and hate. It was only because of Tavion's irrational lust for revenge that she targeted Katarn's students. If Tavion wanted revenge, she should have gone after Katarn directly... she was the coward.

(7 years ago:)

It was quite odd how one's life could take such a tragic turn without much ever really changing. At 16, I was the daughter of a clan leader on Ryloth. Although my father lead a fairly minor clan, I was among the fortunate few twi'lek women who enjoyed the privileges that only males were granted. Instead of learning trade skills, I was sent to school to develop my brain. Even at a young age, my father saw my potential and wanted me to lead our clan when I came of age.

We were a happy family. My father loved me as much as he did my mother, which was why I worked so hard to live up to his expectations. He may have been hard on me, but I believed I was mature enough to understand that he meant me well. He wanted me to grow and develop, which sometimes required pushing me harder than I would have wanted. My mother countered such harshness with all the love and affection that my father wasn't able to properly provide. He was a clan leader after all.

I knew I would always remember that moment... it was what forever shattered my family. After one of the few outings my father and I shared, he told me just how important I was to him and how proud he was to have me for his daughter. It was among the happiest moments of my life. Little did I know it, but my mother held a terrible secret that she knew would one day have to be revealed.

Believing that we were both ready to accept the truth, my mother gathered us together and told of how she had been raped almost 17 years ago. She then went on to say that she had been impregnated with that man's child- me. I remembered the way that Raken stared at me after being told that I wasn't his daughter... he refused to believe it.

As Mother revealed everything that she had kept from us all these years, my heart sank with every passing moment. As I listened to Raken and Mother escalate into shouting, I remember how he kept defending me... telling my own mother that she was lying. She told him that I had been tested three times, and that Raken wasn't my biological father. Almost when I felt he had accepted the truth, he ruthlessly grabbed my wrist and dragged me to be tested again. He wanted to see it for himself.

I remembered the way that we sat next to one another as we waited for the results of the blood tests to come in. Mother tried speaking to Raken, but he just turned his head away and raised his hand at her. The way he gestured for Mother to be silent... I had never seen that side of him. No one said anything, but the tension was high. While Mother sat in a chair on the opposite side of the room, she silently told me just how sorry she was for everything that's happened.

I slowly extended my arm out to hold Raken's hand. I knew that he wasn't my biological father, but I wanted him to remember that I would always love him. He had always been there to comfort me in difficult moments, and I wanted to return the favor. When he felt mine hand cover his, Raken withdrew it and looked at me with such cold eyes... it was as if I were a complete stranger to him.

"Daddy?" I pleaded.

"No." He flatly answered. Turning his head away and closing his eyes, Raken wanted nothing more to do with me. The words which followed tore through me like... something very painful. "Go sit with your mother."

It was then that I knew our family was moments from death. I knew that there would be a moment of truth, although it was still to come; but there was always that glimmer of hope that one could never fully escape. By that time, he had accepted the truth, but didn't have reason to condemn us- yet. Once he saw the test for himself and knew beyond any doubt that I was not his child. His contempt quickly escalated into resentment. It was then that he severed every bond between us.

'What child is that?' His words kept echoing in my mind. No one knew what it was like to have your own father pointing at you and asking his loved one such a question. Of course, Mother did not know; she had been raped. And despite protesting her innocence, Raken would not listen to her 'excuses.' Even when a close family friend confirmed that Mother had been beaten and raped as she claimed, it didn't change anything. It only seemed to spread Raken's resentment across a broader range of people. Such feelings had a terrible way of being transmitted into places they didn't belong. My father hated my mother for lying to him. He even hated her for being raped. He felt betrayed by friends who only sought to protect my family's dignity. Her cursed them for betraying his trust. But he hated me most... He hated me because I was not his child.

I tried to be sympathetic to my father's feelings, but he had no right to hold such feelings towards me and my mother. Although he had a right to be angry at her for keeping the truth from him, she did come forward about it when she could have remained silent. He told her that she had brought great shame to him and his clan for 'what she had done.' Did he hold no malice for her rapist? Instead of directing his anger towards the guilty, he took it out on Mother.

As for me... he was proud of me. Every time he looked at me after that, it was only pain he felt. He wanted nothing more than to call me his daughter, but knew that it was a lie. I had become a shadow of the girl he thought was of his own flesh and blood... and it left him with a sense of indignity and impudence. As if my flesh were more important to him than the bonds that a family was supposed to be. Without an heir of flesh and blood, my father discarded me.

Ryloth unfortunately held onto many primitive values which maintained its male-dominated society for centuries. The only way for women to hold power was to be born to a clan leader, although those who did rarely got the respect they deserved. Adopted sons were often held with higher regard than biological daughters. So I was unable to serve as an heir to Raken's clan.

By law, he had every right to sell both me and my mother into slavery; which was exactly what he did. Despite everything we meant to him, he cursed us, spat on us, and then ordered us from his sight. He turned us away and never looked back. Needless to say I was devastated, but I still had my mother to comfort me. A cell and a person to share it with was all we had to ourselves.

Mother told me that the truth about my bloodline would have eventually been discovered, which was why she waited 16 years to tell us the truth. She explained that she did it to protect the family's honor- and me. For what had happened, she seemed so calm about it. "Your father and I had been trying to have a child for a long time before then. It really upset him that I couldn't give one to him. When I had been raped, it wasn't long after that that I found out I was pregnant." Mother held me and kissed my forehead. "I knew you weren't Raken's little girl, but I couldn't tell him that. If I had, he would have demanded you be removed from my belly and never have a chance to live. I wanted to give him a child... and I knew he wanted you as well."

It was painful to hear of how I came to be. All my life, I thought Raken was my father. To learn I was a rape child made me feel as though my fate were sealed before I even left my mother's womb. "But why? Why didn't you ever tell me?"

She rubbed the back of my neck and shoulders, looking into my eyes, almost as if to express how she appreciated my company. "I wanted to protect you. Even as you kicked in my belly, I felt there was something special about you. On that night, seventeen years ago, a man held me down and forced me to have sex with him. But he gave me something in return... he gave us a daughter. You may have been born from a terrible deed, but you are as virtuous and magnificent as your father."

Hearing her continue to speak of Raken in such a way was absolutely wrong! "We're in a cell. He put us here!"

She shook her head and covered my mouth with her right index finger. "Don't be angry at him; I'm responsible for this. I knew that one day, he would learn the truth. It was my hope that he would eventually see beyond your flesh and love you for what made you truly special." She took me into her arms and covered me as though to protect her little girl. "I'm afraid all he sees anymore is someone else's child."

Those words pierced my heart like a dagger. I loved my father and wanted so much for him to love me in return. I thought that he did, but it turned out to be just a lie. To lose that love was so painful to me.

Mother encouraged me to let it out. She knew how much it hurt, which was why she tried to remain strong for me. She wanted me to remember her courage- even when she had been in greater pain than I was. "I had asked your father that I bear the punishment alone so that you'd be spared. Raken has every reason to be angry with me, but he accepts you're innocent in this."

I desperately shook my head, unable to hold back my tears. "Mother, please!"

She embraced me again. Partly it was to ease my pain, but mainly to did it to let me know how much she loved me. "It's alright. Whatever happens to me... remember that I will always love you. Most women never get the chance to be their own master, but I was able to give you 16 years. Whatever happens after this, never let yourself forget who you are. Never let yourself forget that you are our daughter in every way that matters."

I wished that I could take comfort in Mother's words, but they only made the pain so much worse. God, I loved my mother. I loved her so much. And I was just so angry at how Raken could just forget all the affection and love we shared in an instant. I wanted so much to just make the pain go away, but it just hurt so much to know that would be our last night together. While I shed every last tear I had, Mother kept herself strong for me.

I couldn't sleep. I refused to sleep. I wanted every last moment we had left to matter. But while I was desperate to remain awake, my body slowly gave in to physical exhaustion. It maybe was only an hour before dawn that I found myself in the blissful world of a dream. I was free.

Sooner or later, you always had to wake up. It was my mother's lekku against my neck which alerted me to wake up. She had fallen asleep on top of me, but I didn't want to wake her as well. She just seemed so peaceful... God, I loved her. There had to be something I could do to save her! I couldn't just let her go!

When I saw the sun shining through a window, I realized it was well into the morning. I had no idea how much time we had left, but I knew it wouldn't be enough. When I started sniffling from sadness, she awoke. It was as though she heard my pain and rushed from a blissful dream back into reality because I needed her. "It's alright. Please don't cry."

"Why, Mother?" I urged her.

She held me again, resting her chin upon my shoulder and with her arms around my abdomen. "It's our destiny, my child. Sometimes you have to follow the path that's been laid out for you. If you don't, you'll find places you don't expect. You probably don't realize it, but you're about to embark on a much more difficult path than I am."

I looked at her, utterly perplexed that she could say such a thing.

She rubbed her forehead against mine. "I've followed mine and I know where it will lead me; you don't know yet where your path leads to. The only thing that you do know is that our paths will soon diverge. Before that happens, I need you to promise me that you won't let what has happened ruin your life forever."

"Mother..." I whined.

"I'm serious. The last thing I would want is for you to be bitter at your father for the rest of your life, or to give in to despair once I'm gone. Promise me that you'll follow whatever path is laid before you- that you'll treat your master with the proper respect and fulfill your duties to the best of your ability. That you will live your life and appreciate what precious little you're given." She held my face and pleaded her final request. "And remember that I will always love you. Promise me."

Almost as if they couldn't come at a more dramatic moment, two guards entered the cell block to retrieve my Mother. I couldn't stop crying, but I managed to whisper into her ear "I promise." It was not a promise that I was ready to keep, but I made it to give her some measure of comfort before the end.

As my mother stood up, prepared to go with them, one of the guards addressed me. "Stand up, girl."

I twisted my head around and saw another person standing behind the guards. It was a well-dressed human with the look of a businessman. I didn't know what had been going on, but my mother took my hand and pulled me to my feet. The human gestured me to come to him, as to allow him a quick examination of me. Through the bars, he touched my face and felt the tone of my flesh, as if to determine my physical conditioning. "What's your name?" He asked me with a smile.

I didn't know what to say. Mother answered for me. "Alora."

He frowned at Mother. "I wasn't talking to you. Is she mute?"

I heard Mother shake her head from behind me.

When his eyes were fixed on mine again, I felt a deep coldness about this man. I knew I had to answer. "Alora."

He smiled when he heard my voice. "Nice to meet you- Alora. My name is Seldon Crassis." He extended his hand and held it under my chin. "You have a beautiful voice."

I didn't want to speak, nor did he ask me to.

"How would you like to call me Master Seldon? I'd like to hear you say it. Master Seldon."

I almost knew in that moment that he was going to be the one to purchase me. I almost spoke as a servant would to her owner, knowing that I was then and forever more that I was... property. "Master Seldon."

He smiled a terrible smile. "Alora- welcome to my service."

As he turned around to give his credits to one of the guards, I turned around and we held onto the other with all the strength we had. Only then did she start crying, despite all attempts to maintain her composure. "Mother, please don't let me go."

"I'll hold you for as long as I can." She told me.

Seldon paid about 5000 credits for me and I heard the cell door open from behind me. Mother pushed me back a little, just enough to allow the guards to place a slaving collar around my neck. Once the collar was in place, they placed cuffs on my right wrist and then forcibly removed my arms from Mother.

When she made one last attempt to hold onto me, one of the guards shouted at her. "That's enough! Back away!"

Seldon spoke to assure Mother that he would take good care of me... I think we both knew he was lying. "Don't worry about your daughter. I take good care of my servants."

As the guards forced us apart, Mother started sobbing in pain at being separated from her child. Despite her agony, she let me go, stepped back, and allowed them to take me away. As her crying escalated to wailing, she collapsed to the floor and tried to muffle her painful cries from me.

As they pulled me through the cell door, I knew I couldn't leave her behind. It didn't matter to me whether I was restrained or not. I resisted, calling to her. "Mother! Mother, please! Don't let me go!"

One guard pulled me back by the chain around my neck, but I intended to fight until the bitter end. I soon felt a terrible electrical shock from the collar and shrieked in agony. But even as I collapsed to the floor, I refused to let them take me away.

The sound of my screams were silenced when Mother lifted her head and shouted back. "Alora, don't! It won't do any good!" Attempting to stand, she fell back to her knees. Waving me off, I realized just how much more painful I was making it for her by struggling. Desperately, she screamed. "Just go, please! GO!"

As the guards grabbed me and pulled me from the floor of the cell, I felt as though time had slowed to a crawl. I felt every detail of that moment, every sound, every movement... I felt I had transcended into another world, if only for a moment.

I watched as Mother tucked her head behind her arms on the floor, weeping every tear she could shed in a moment. The way the cell door slid to a close. The low-pitched click of the latch resetting itself. Seldon as he stood before me to appreciate his new servant. The guard uttering something to him, offering the chain that was around my neck. Him smiling as he took the chain, and then gesturing me to follow. "Thank-you. I've got her."

I wouldn't move. My eyes couldn't leave the sight of my mother as she wept from inside the cell. As I felt the chain became taught, he gently tugged at it as a gesture for me to follow. I allowed him to pull me away; but I wouldn't allow my eyes to leave Mother for as long as I could see her. Only when door to the cell block closed behind me did I know she was gone forever.

(The Present)

It had been a long time since I thought of that day. I remembered thinking that I would live in that moment every day for the rest of my life, but I had long since buried that painful memory. And each time I thought of her, I also remembered Raken. He killed Mother. He killed his daughter. He destroyed our family. I broke a promise I made to myself once... I swore to kill him.

And I also never delivered on the promise I made to Mother just before she died. If she saw me for what I was, I knew she would've been ashamed to call me her daughter. Of course, I had long since stopped caring what either of my parents would have wanted of me. If Mother hadn't been so foolish, none of that would've happened. She wouldn't have just put both our fates into the hands of a mad man. If she wanted to die for what she did, that was her choice! She could have at least spared me the pain and humiliation that I'd endured as a slave. Everything that I was... it was because of her!

Shaking my head, I knew it was futile to blame the person I loved most. It was all because of Raken. If he had not been so bent on having a child of flesh, all that happened since might have turned out differently. But it was pointless to consider options that no longer were open to me, paths not taken, or people that I've lost. Thinking of the past was pointless when there were more important matters to deal with.

Thank-you for reading. Part two coming up soon.


	5. Chapter 5

Here's the next chapter update, told from Jaden's perspective. I've had some difficulty in making this happen, as I've had to come up with a means of getting a Sith and a Jedi to trust one another and still be believable. Although my characters' dialog may be in order, I really need to improve the quality of their surroundings and gestures. One thing I've noticed about my writings since I began doing this was that they all end up a bit too generic. I've seen many young authors who really have talent for 'situational articulation' I would call it. I can almost project these scenes into my imagination like it were a movie, but I still have difficulty in accurately portraying what I imagine... feedback on how to do that would be most appreciated.

I probably will be going back to make some modifications, but I wanted to get this posted as soon as it was ready. This is part one and part II is almost finished.

* * *

Informal Friends

**Jaden**

There was something very strange about how we awake from a deep sleep. Sometimes I almost feel as though my mind tells me to wake up before I even open my eyes. Other times, I just phase in and out for hours before really coming to grip with reality. That was about how I felt as I tried to wake myself up, but my head wouldn't stop throbbing. I wasn't exactly sure how; but as soon as one conscious thought returned, it forced me back into the waking world. The last thing I remembered was answering my door to find her... she attacked me before I had time to react. I then felt a surge of energy channel through my body, just long enough to realize it was a stun weapon she used..

Upon finally returning to reality, I groaned in pain and buried my head in my hands. I had trouble accepting where I was, but I could tell I was seated and that I was in a ship. She was in the seat beside me... I almost instinctively felt the need to kill her.

"Easy! Don't go berserk!" she ordered of me.

I probably wasn't in a good mental state, as I reached over to strangle her. "You!"

She brushed my arms away and shoved me against the opposite side of the cockpit. With her biceps pinning me by the neck, she shouted again. "Calm yourself down! Do you want to spread our atoms across the galaxy?"

It took me a moment to realize that we were in hyperspace, but I knew enough not to fight in so closed a space. Just breaching the hull would have been fatal. I really had no choice but to do as she ordered. When she pulled her arm away, I reached for my belt and realized that my lightsabers were gone.

She continued. "I have them. Just hear me out, and then I'll return them."

"What the **** is wrong with you? Are you out of your mind?" I screamed.

As I shrieked at her, Alora subtly raised her hand at me, gesturing me to be silent. It was not a single-finger gesture, but she held her hand as if to strike if I didn't shut up. After finally lowering it, she spoke very calm and confidently. "We're going to do things your way. You came up with a good plan and I've decided to go along with it."

My head must really have been throbbing. What the hell could she have been doing? I looked around and realized we were on board the Raven's Claw as well. Whatever she had in store for me, I knew it wasn't going to be pleasant. Kyle was going to kill me. "Care to explain why you stole the Raven's Claw as well? As if taking me hostage wasn't enough..."

She didn't let me finish. "It was necessary to make your treachery seem more convincing. Tavion knows this is Katarn's ship and she would never suspect..." Realizing she'd gotten ahead of herself, Alora started over. "Tavion will believe that you stole your master's ship while we were on Taspir III. With me to verify you've accepted our offer, Tavion will let us in."

"What in the hell?" No longer was I interested in going through with that plan. After what I've seen of her, I had no wish to go to Korriban, trusting in some psychotic Sith. "I'm not going along with this! I'm taking us out of hyperspace!"

As I tried to disengage the hyperdrive, she slapped my hand away from the controls. We wrested with each other to take control of the situation, I started cursing at her, and then she just withdrew altogether and threw herself back into her seat. As if annoyed, Alora shook her head and focused on the front window. "Will you just shut up for a moment and listen?"

I had no idea why, but I found it peculiar that she would just give up and yield control like that. Right when I had a chance to take us out of hyperspace, I hesitated. Would she have just... allowed me to take back the ship? Whatever the reason, I stopped there and leaned back into my seat. Instead of going for the controls, I set my hands on my lap to indicate I was listening. It probably wouldn't have done any good either way. If she intended to take me to Korriban, I wouldn't allow her to do so. And if I intended to take us back to Yavin, Alora wouldn't just let me take back control of the ship. Obviously we had a conflict of interests, but neither of us were going anywhere unless one of us backed down... and she was the first to do so.

She took my silence as an indication that I was listening. "Your plan was a good one. I've decided to go along with it."

As if that couldn't be more obvious! It didn't give me any more reason to believe her lie. By that time, I've already accepted Master Luke's judgment and abandoned the idea altogether. And I wasn't exactly enthused about being kidnapped and taking Kyle's ship without his consent. "Master Skywalker had already decided..."

"Forget 'Master Skywalker.' Do you want to make Tavion pay for corrupting your friend? I'm offering to take you directly to her, so you can kill her. Isn't that what you really want?"

What could I say? I wanted Tavion dead. I wanted her to suffer for what she did to Rosh, to Kyle, and to me. I wanted to be the deliverer of justice. I wanted revenge. Of course no Jedi could possibly want such things, nor would she imply it. Maybe even I managed to convince myself otherwise, but I told Alora what I believed any Jedi would want. "That scepter has to be destroyed. That is my only goal."

She didn't buy it. "You're lying."

When our eyes finally met, I couldn't help feeling that she probably knew me a lot better than I knew myself. Even as I tried to suppress my darkest feelings, I knew my Jedi training couldn't extinguish an unrelenting hate inside me. Only when I imagined Tavion lying dead at my feet could I feel any relief from the pain she caused to both me and Rosh.

But I had to destroy the scepter she possessed. If the stakes weren't so high, I might have known better than to even consider accepting what Alora offered me. The last thing I wanted was to go further down the dark path, but I was the best chance we had at keeping Ragnos from being resurrected and to destroy the Cult forever.

After an uncomfortably long moment of staring at me, Alora continued. "I know you'd never admit it, but you secretly want Tavion dead. I also want her dead. We can help each other out."

God, her words were poison! It sickened me that I would even consider her! "No. I will not let you seduce me again." Suddenly I felt a rush of courage and determination that I hadn't felt since... and I wanted her to know that I was still stronger. "I don't care if I die because of it! I am a Jedi knight. I will NEVER be like you... or your master!"

Alora's reaction surprised me. She almost seemed... glad that I stood her up in such a way. The twi'lek then smiled and reached down towards the floor to grab something. "Alright then, Jedi knight... I think you're safe enough to have this back."

My lightsaber! She took two lightsabers in one hand, one belonging to each of us. She set the hilt with the red crystal on the seat next to her. In her opposite hand, Alora presented the one with the green blade to its rightful owner. I hesitated for only the briefest of moments before snatching it from her. Given as she took it from me, I didn't thank her for returning it. "And the other one?"

Alora smirked and gestured with her eyes. "In the compartment under your seat, along with one of mine."

I stared at her for a rather long moment. I almost couldn't grasp the nature of what she just said to me, but there was only one way to know for sure. I reached into the compartment under my seat and found exactly as she claimed. Two lightsabers, one belonging to each of us. I naturally set mine on the seat next to me, but I couldn't quite figure out what to do with the red-bladed saber.

With her second weapon in my hand, I took a few seconds to examine it. "Why did you do that?"

She slowly and politely extended her arm across to accept it back, never really answering my question.

If I had to take a wild guess, I think she wanted to give me an impression that we were equals. Like the lightsabers were symbolic of sharing, bonding, or something like that. Partners? A dark mirror to me? Contrasts? I didn't know what the hell that Sith really wanted, but I didn't want her thinking for a moment that I trusted her. In a very rude manner, I just tossed that weapon onto the floor near her feet.

She probably had already thought we were good friends, but that simple gesture made it abundantly clear that she didn't matter to me. When she took that saber from the floor and clipped it to her belt, she started blathering on about 'our plan.' "It's a good thing that Katarn's ship is faster than your X-wings. We should be able to make it to Korriban almost an hour ahead of the others. That will give us time to..."

I interrupted her again. "Let's get something very clear... Sith. Your only purpose is to bring me before your master. Once you've done that, I will decide when to strike. You will not carry a lightsaber. Is that clear?"

She looked at me as though to laugh, but not quite able to pull it off. "Jedi, you're good, but you're not that good. You really think you can take on Tavion without me?"

I knew where she was going, but I really wanted to make Alora swallow her pride. "Who needs you at all?"

She didn't take kindly to that, a sad reminder of her most recent defeat against me. Facing the window in front, she had no intent of being subordinated in such a way. "Jedi, if you want my help, you're going to have to do things my way. If you don't, then we might as well forget this whole endeavor."

Placing my hand on the lever which controlled our hyperdrive speed, I was ready to pull it back. Alora tried not to show it, but I could tell that she didn't intend for me to pull it back. She glared at me in a very threatening way, almost as though to silently warn me against it. I couldn't stand it any more... what the hell was I supposed to do?

Removing my hand from the lever, I looked her directly in the eye. "What the hell are you doing, Alora? Why should I believe that you would want to help us? If you want me to believe you, I demand that you spill the truth... ALL of the truth."

She really didn't get it. "I already told you. I'm doing what's in my own interests."

"I think you've got other motives. It would seem like a perfect opportunity for you to betray your master and take that scepter for yourself."

She pivoted her head around and rolled her eyes to the roof of their sockets. "Think for a moment, girl. Why wouldn't Tavion use the scepter's power on herself? Why squander it to bring back some long-dead Sith Lord?" Alora waited a moment for me to answer with only silence. "That scepter belongs to Ragnos. It has no other master. If Tavion or I... or you were to use that energy for any purpose other than to revive him, it would be useless. I'm told it even has self-defense instincts."

"Self-defense instincts?" I asked.

She just turned to look forward again, clearly unconcerned about it. "I've never seen such things, but then no one's attempted to steal it. I assume it would probably electrocute anyone who tries to lay a hand on it, or some other kind of Force energy discharge."

"Can it be destroyed?"

She just shrugged her shoulders. And like any Sith, Alora didn't bother to speak any more than was needed. It was clear that we wouldn't be talking much.

Unfortunately, I had to know more about this person. I had to be the one to trigger any conversation. And yet... I couldn't think of anything to say. Our ETA was about nine hours, according to the clock on the hyperdrive control panel. We were en route to Korriban at our maximum speed, which was slightly faster than our X-wings. Although we took off later, we would get there first.

A part of me knew we shouldn't have just taken Kyle's ship, but another part of me knew I could blame it on Alora. And yet, there was another part that knew it wouldn't matter if we got the job done. I hated thinking that I could just shift blame away from myself for something I knew was wrong, but I just wanted so much to make up for my sins. If I did this, I could have at least showed Kyle that I was a Jedi to the end.

Still, I was under a lot of tension in that moment. The thought of spending nine hours with that Sith, my guilt, and quite possibly all the hopes of the Jedi Order. All the while, unaware of what would be waiting for me on Korriban. I still couldn't escape the possibility that this was just another trap. If I had any sense, I would have just called this whole thing off.

Why didn't I? I supposed that if Alora intended to deliver me to Tavion, or something like that... she could have kept me sedated for the whole of the journey, but she didn't. Surly that had to mean something. Maybe I was just over analyzing things. But that still didn't change the fact that Alora lead me towards killing Rosh. That was something I couldn't just forget. She was a Sith, and she couldn't be trusted.

And yet... I couldn't help wondering something. I never really noticed before, but Master Luke did genuinely care for Mara. How Alora could have known about that was just beyond me. Maybe she might have indulged a question of two if I just brushed the subject. "How much do you know about Master Skywalker...? He says you've never met."

She wouldn't look in my direction, but chose to stare off into the blankness of hyperspace. "Tavion's told me a lot of things about him." A moment's pause, she continued. "And everything she knew of Skywalker, she learned through Desann. So I would assume the majority of what I know are just half truths based on more half truths."

"And Mara?"

She just pivoted her head again in that way which expressed annoyance. "Do you have a question to ask?"

I waited for a long moment before seriously asking her a question that might have had a very volatile answer. "How did you know about Master Skywalker and Mara? I've been there for two years and I never really thought that they were..."

She looked away again, interrupting me in the process. "He's the only one expressing interest. She either hasn't picked up on it, or she's already rejected him."

Almost gladdened that Alora looked away, I probably had a dumb look on my face. "You got all that from one interaction with each other?"

"Could it have been more obvious? Master Skywalker fears that they'll be too late. That Ragnos will be revived and they'll have to face him directly. He feared watching his beloved knights die before him, but he feared losing her above the others. Even if she would have hated him for it... he wanted to ensure that didn't happen."

I shook my head and pushed the idea out of my head. "No way. Even if what you say is true, Master Luke doesn't allow his personal feelings to EVER get in the way of his judgment."

She didn't seem to care what I thought. Alora just shrugged her shoulders again, still staring out the window. "You know him better than I do. If you asked me, you Jedi don't know what the hell you want. Even Skywalker is not immune to something as dangerous as love. When you invest your heart in someone, you leave yourself vulnerable. Don't they teach you to protect yourself from such emotions?"

I had trouble imagining that Sith as knowing about such things as love and what it meant to care for others. Alora was quite perplexing in the way she shifted from being that cold and heartless Sith to possessing an ability to look deep into people's souls. But she truly had no idea what she was talking about. "In the old Jedi Order, yes. Master Skywalker has since done away with the practice." I waited for her to respond, but after getting only silence, I just spouted something I wished I hadn't. "Do you know what love is?"

She finally looked me directly in the eye, a clear sign that I struck a nerve somewhere. Alora then proceeded to lecture me about it. "I know love a lot better than you do... little girl. Love is a trick that nature plays to get us to reproduce. But it's only an illusion, brought upon by some primordial drive to seek pleasure and avoid discomfort. Only when everything you've ever loved is taken away do you strip away the fantasy and see the galaxy for what it really is."

"And what is that?" I asked, maybe a bit too unsympathetic.

Alora sighed and looked away again. "You realize that sentient beings are just talking animals. Compelled by those primordial instincts, camouflaged by what they call 'morality.' Sentient beings just invented it to subvert unsuspecting victims. Animals don't destroy themselves from an instinctive sense of self-preservation. Sentient beings aren't driven by survival. They destroy lives for... other reasons."

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Part two will cover more of Alora's tragic fall to the dark side. Thanks for reading and reviewing.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry about the delay, but I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to progress this story any further. I've decided I wanted to show much more of Alora's past, otherwise some of her comments in the next chapter won't make any sense. I just wanted to reveal some of the first days of Alora's captivity in order to give a sense of what her life was like and what ultimately lead her to discovering the Force for herself. The next chapter I hope will finish this part of the story... everyone already knows how that ends.

I don't own Star Wars or its characters. Please R&R.

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Shattered Soul

**Alora**: Seven Years Ago

After having been bought and paid for, my life was over. No longer was I a person, but property. My flesh from that point on belonged to someone else. My new master didn't speak to me... he just lead me on. Each time he glanced back, it was like he knew just how to pierce into my soul. Nothing spoken, yet he said so much just in the way he looked at me.

'This would not be over quickly. You will not enjoy this.' Those thoughts seemed to echo in my mind. If he had spoken, those would have been his words. I was so scared... I had no idea why I didn't just break down in tears. I guess I knew in my heart that he would show no sympathy for my loss. Everyone I loved had been taken away and I was left completely on my own. No mercy. No comfort. Just orders.

I wanted to die... but I didn't have the courage to take my own life.

Not long after that was I put aboard a ship and taken to another world. Escorted to what appeared to be a luxury hotel complex, my new master lead me to one of the suites. After removing the chains from my neck and wrists, Master Seldon introduced me to my new life. I had originally feared that I might've been sold into the service of a Hutt, but my accommodations seemed too nice.

Seldon smiled and gestured to the room. "These will serve as your quarters. You will not be locked in, but you are not to leave unless explicitly ordered so by me. The guards stationed outside are for your protection."

The second reason was quite obvious, but I instinctively spoke out of term. "And to keep us from leaving?"

He looked at me as though I had gone mad, but then raised his hand to slap me across the face.

Almost the instant he raised his hand, I realized my mistake. Head bowed and descending to my knee, I played my role as best I could. "I apologize- Master. I spoke out of term."

I waited for an uncomfortably long moment as he studied me. He probably could tell how raw a servant I was, as to make such a basic mistake as talking back without permission. Not that it mattered. The man leaned down and gently placed his hand under my chin to help me to my feet. "You were merely asking a question. I'm sure you're anxious to know what will be expected of you. Yes, the guards are stationed outside to keep intruders out... and to watch over you. If you are caught outside without an escort, you will be punished. If you try to escape..." He extended his arm towards my shoulder and took my right lekku in his hand.

When I felt his opposite hand at the root of my head tail, massaging it, I gasped in what seemed a mix of pleasure and absolute horror. He held that lekku with both hands in a manner that terrified me... I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that I were somewhere else.

But then his voice forced me back into the moment. As he drove fear into my soul, he clenched my lekku in his grip to remind me how powerful a motivator pain really was. "If you try to escape, I will cut off this lovely lekku... and feed it to my Kath hound."

As the pain became too much, I whimpered in torment. My sobbing and cries of agony were exactly what he sought, but he also tugged it downward until I was again on my knees. Only then did he let go.

Not even giving me a moment to recover, he ordered me to get up and follow him into the next room. I had some trouble with my balance, as often happened with trauma to a lekku; but I stumbled to my feet and made it to the doorway just before he turned around to give me further instructions. The room had the appearance of a dance studio, with a small stage and a variety of instruments for the lighting and music. My heart sank when I realized what he expected of me. The worst part was that I couldn't dance!

No, the worst part was yet to come!

"Remove your clothes." He ordered in a very intimidating manner.

It took me a moment to get my head around what he had commanded of me, but I pretty much knew exactly what I had to do. My clothing had been traditional twi'lek, which left some skin exposed; but my attire was composed of three layers of which had to be removed. I didn't question him... I just started peeling everything away. He gestured me to move it along. By the way his brow furrowed, I knew he meant for me to undress myself as fast as possible. I had gotten down to my undergarments, slipping off my skirt, when I felt him undo both my bra and panties from the back.

I had hoped for at least a few seconds to prepare myself emotionally before completely revealing everything, but the bastard didn't even allow me that. The instant that I felt my panties slide down my legs, I shot myself around and held my arms at my sides like a soldier or something. Never had I been completely exposed like that, which was why I closed my eyes and tried to block everything out.

But even with my eyes closed, I could almost see him. I knew that his pupils dilated when they focused on my bare breasts. The look of slight disappointment as he examined my abdomen. He took one of my arms and pulled it from the side so that he could feel the flesh around my midsection. I could tell by the way he prodded me that I wasn't quite up to his standards. "A little too much substance, otherwise you're quite presentable." He then proceeded behind me, resetting my lekku so that he could appreciate the clean and untarnished slate of my back. I had never been whipped, which was quite unusual for a slave of my class. "I must say that I'm quite pleased with you."

As my breathing got more and more intense, I just wanted to be anywhere else. I had no idea how I expected to survive if I couldn't even make it through that inspection without breaking down in tears.

He brought himself closer to my ear and whispered to me "I just gave you a compliment."

Only then did I open my eyes. It was as though I really understood what it was like to be someone else's property. He knew that false compliment didn't make me feel better, yet he wanted me to act like his satisfaction was exactly what I sought. Unfortunately, that really wasn't too far from the truth. If I displeased him, he would punish me. So if avoiding punishment was what I sought... I had to seek to please him. "Thank-you... my Master."

Then he got in front to examine my face. Almost as if he appreciated every second of my terror, he told me to smile. I looked at him as if to wonder if it were even possible for one to smile in a time like that. Then I realized that he simply wished to inspect my teeth, so I followed through and gave him the most dazzling smile that I could manufacture.

He returned the smile and appreciated that I didn't have any missing teeth. He gently took me by the chin and admired my head from every angle. "The face... is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing."

Still holding that smile, I returned the compliment with another manufactured 'thank-you.' Only when he playfully slapped me across the face and turned away did I let the smile disappear. I knew I wasn't going to enjoy my new life and I didn't wish to pretend that I would.

He had gone into the bedroom and I somehow knew that he didn't expect me to follow him in. When he returned, my master had a replacement outfit for me... a slave bikini not unlike the attire Hutts often clad their victims in. "I have something special for you. If it doesn't fit, we'll have one made in your size."

Taking the thing and examining it, I realized it was only a little less sheer than my underwear. Still it was better than nothing. And it wasn't like I had much choice.

As I started with the lower piece, I actually found it to be more comfortable than it appeared. The entire thing was metal, but the pieces were interwoven like scale armour, as to not restrict movement. The top piece didn't quite conform to my breasts, but only because they hadn't fully developed yet. Along with the outfit was a pair of dancing slippers, of which really hurt my feet. There were also a few pieces of gold jewelry that added decoration to my wrists and triceps.

Unlike before, he seemed much more patient with me. He actually sat himself down in the only chair pointed towards the dancing floor, as if to watch me transform myself into his pleasure slave.

When my new outfit was fully assembled, I reluctantly went and stood before my master. I had never felt so embarrassed in my life! I held my hands in front, as if to try and cover what little of my nearly-naked body my arms could conceal without being too overt about it.

He rather enjoyed having me. I hated the smile on his face as he stood up and held me in his arms. "You're absolutely dazzling. It's so adorable, right?"

"Yes, Master." I forced myself to speak. "I'm glad you like it."

He chuckled and rubbed my bare back. "It certainly compliments your more- enduring features."

"Thank-you. I'm happy to wear it." I flatly answered.

"That's good to hear." Chuckling at his good fortune, Seldon then gestured to the scattered pieces of the garb I had just removed. "Now be a good girl and throw those old rags into the garbage chute."

Those clothes were the only possessions I had left at that point, which was why I hesitated to follow the order. And compared to that wretched bikini I was given... I didn't want to get rid of my clothes. I did gather them in my arms, but didn't intend to follow his order. "Permission to speak?"

"Yes, what is it?" He spoke, irritated.

"Sir, if it's all the same to you, I'd like to keep these. If you're going to throw them away in any event..."

"No." Then he stood before me in a threatening manner. I actually had been so intimidated that I backed into a wall as he approached. He didn't even come within a meter of me, and I still had been afraid. "I'm the one who decides what garb you will wear from now on. That garment is not something I would ever want to see you in again." When he moved his head to within centimeters of mine, I braced myself for a shouting match. Instead he repeated his order in a tone that was very low and very soft... one which commanded authority through fear. "You will throw it into the garbage chute. Now."

And that was exactly how it had to be. I did exactly as I was ordered without giving it a second thought. For the first time in my life, I found myself utterly powerless and alone. I had absolutely no influence on the matter and he wanted me to accept that fact. Almost instinctually, I made my way into the wash room and disposed of the last remnants of my old life.

I didn't have enough time to properly appreciate the consequences of my actions until they were gone. For reasons I couldn't explain, losing that garment seemed almost as devastating as losing my Mother. Maybe it was because those clothes were the last thing of my old life... and I had nothing left after that. Only memories.

I remembered a time when I might have believed one's experiences were the most important possession you could hold onto... something that no one could touch. As I stood there, I realized just how hollow all of it really could be. It didn't take me long to realize I died that day. The love of my father gone. My mother's fate uncertain. My future destroyed. I felt as though I had awoken from a pleasant dream and plummeted into the depths of a nightmare. Only there would have been no waking up from that terrible hell. That was to be where I would remain the rest of my life. No longer was I a person... I would then and forever be someone else's property.

When I lifted my head and caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I felt as though I couldn't even recognize my own reflection anymore. It wasn't just the bikini... it was something about me that had changed. I was only 16 years old, but I wasn't a little girl anymore. I stared at a grown woman looking back at me... the terror in her soul was ever so visible. And that outfit she wore... I was a whore! Even my body seemed unfamiliar to me. As if learning the truth about Raken wasn't enough, I felt as though my soul had been destroyed and replaced by the essence of someone else.

Seldon followed me into the wash room and wrapped his arm around my waist to tickle my exposed abdomen. Unfortunately, I had a tendency to squeal whenever... Raken rubbed me in such ways. My master took the sound I made as physical affection. "There, you see? A bikini is far more appropriate for one such as you. I like to show off my possessions for all their beauty." His hand trailed up to the top piece and slipped under my bra and over my right breast. "But not too much. I like leaving a few things to the imagination, right?"

I didn't really acknowledge what he told me; I just agreed with him. "Yes, Master."

Guided back to the dance studio, I had never felt so vulnerable and helpless. Having been the daughter of a clan leader only two days ago, I seemed to have accepted my new place very easily. I also knew that any tears I shed would earn no sympathy from my Master, so I held them back with all my might. Although I didn't show it, I felt my soul shatter a little more with each passing moment. I almost wanted him to just rape me and be done with it, but he wanted more from me before that happened.

Sitting in the chair before the stage, he naturally wanted me in front. "Alright, now let's see you dance."

Everything turned out much worse than I'd ever imagined. Given as I couldn't dance, my Master was most angry. Having bought an expensive slave that couldn't dance... it was so rare in female twi'leks that he called me defective. A part of me felt like stepping up and telling him that I would learn it, but the better option was to just wait and hope the deal my master had made to buy me could be reversed. At least then, I could've escaped that horrible place.

***(The Present)***

That was exactly how I felt when Korr had bested me in combat. I felt weak, impotent, and helpless. It was always fun to ruin other people's lives, but it was never something you wanted to have happen to yourself. I used to be happy. I used to have a life. I had a loving family. And then that bastard took it all away from me.

When Tavion gave me the chance to learn the Force, she told me that I would never have to live like that again. With the Dark Side as an ally, I could fight back and make them pay for what they've done to me.

I loved it. Each time that I saw that same fear in my victim's eyes as the young slave I used to be... it gave me great pleasure. I had become the master. I was the executioner. I was the bane of their existence. I loved driving fear into people, even when they didn't deserve it... it made me feel the same way my owner did when he took such pleasure in tormenting me.

But it got old... very old. And I soon found that the same process with the same outcome just got monotonous. Not everyone died like cowards... some genuinely were willing to give their lives to protect something they valued more than themselves. And even as I watched them die at my hand... their final thoughts were of their loved ones. I remembered when I watched one Republic soldier speaking the name of his wife just before dying... I almost felt envious of him. I wished I had someone or something I loved more than myself.

I can't say I ever really felt guilty for any of my deeds. It was the way of the galaxy for cruelty to be passed from one sin to another. For everything my father had done to me, my anger towards him was quite deserved. For what happened to me while I was in captivity, I took out my anger on everyone else. And then the cycle was supposed to start over again with the oppressed becoming the new oppressors. If I weren't abused while in captivity, I wouldn't have discovered my Force potential.

But if I were to really consider whether I were happy with the way my life had turned out, I suppose that I really just wanted to leave the Cult behind forever. I couldn't say that I ever really enjoyed having power, as it just encouraged competition for others to try and take my place as Tavion's second. I also got tired having to look over my shoulder for the rest of my life.

As we dropped out of hyerspace and Korriban rotated below, I looked over to Korr and found her asleep. The girl just looked so peaceful... I gently rubbed her shoulder. "We're there."

As she slowly came to, Jaden didn't seemed alarmed by my presence. The girl just rubbed her eyes and stretched herself out. "Alright. This ends here."


End file.
